östliche Berner Voralpen

Considerable avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area.

Snowpack

The large amount of fresh snow and snowdrift accumulations over the last few days is prone to triggering, especially at high altitudes. During the day, strong northerly winds created large snowdrift accumulations on the Main Alpine Ridge and in the east. Due to the high amount of new snow in the past few days, avalanches may become large. Below around 2000 m, the deeper layers of the snowpack became wet from the rain and have now been covered with new fallen snow again. In many areas, there is about twice as much snow as there normally is at the beginning of December. Snow depths are below average only on the southern flank of the Alps.

Weather forecast through Sunday, 03.12.2023

During the night, the snowfall will also end in the east. It will clear up from the west and south. It will be sunny in the mountains during the day.

Fresh snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, -8 °C, rising slightly from the west in the afternoon.

Wind

• Overnight, winds will still be blowing moderately to strongly from the north on the Main Alpine Ridge, in the south and in the high Alpine regions of Grisons.
• During the day, they will blow at weak strength from the southwest at 2000 m, and at moderate strength from the northwest at high altitudes.

Observed weather review Saturday, 02.12.2023

Widespread snow fell during Friday night, and was particularly heavy in Grisons. The snowfall level fell rapidly in the north and gradually to low altitudes on the southern flank of the Alps and in southern Grisons. Snow continued to fall during the day, but less intensively. There were isolated brighter spells in the west and south.

Fresh snow

From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were registered in the north above approximately 1000 m and in the south above approximately 2000 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge from the San Bernardino Pass to the Bernina Pass: 70 to 100 cm;
• other parts of Grisons: widely 50 to 70 cm;
• northern flank of the Alps, Lower Valais: 30 to 50 cm;
• Jura, Upper Valais, central and southern Ticino: 15 to 30 cm.

This means that, above approximately 2200 m, the following amounts have fallen since Wednesday evening:

• extreme west of Lower Valais and northern Lower Valais, Main Alpine Ridge from the Rheinwald to the Bernina Pass: 80 to 120 cm;
• remaining northern flank of the Alps, rest of Lower Valais, northern Upper Valais, remaining parts of Grisons: 50 to 80 cm;
• otherwise widely 30 to 50 cm, less in central and southern Ticino.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -10 °C in the north and -4 °C in the south.

Wind

Winds were blowing from northerly directions:

• moderate to strong on the Main Alpine Ridge, on the southern flank of the Alps and in Grisons;
• weak to moderate in the other regions.

Outlook through Tuesday, 05.12.2023Monday

It will be cloudy. As the day progresses, light snowfall will move in from the west. The snowfall level will rise temporarily to around 1200 m in the west. Strong southwesterly winds will blow at high altitudes, while foehn winds will blow in the Alpine valleys in the north. The avalanche situation will not change significantly with fresh snowdrift accumulations.

Tuesday

It will snow down to low altitudes at times. Up to 30 cm of snow may fall in the west. Moderate to strong westerly winds will blow in the west and north. In the south, there will be bright spells as the day progresses with an increasing northerly wind. The avalanche danger may increase slightly in the west with new fallen snow and wind. In the other regions, it will remain largely unchanged.