Waadtländer Voralpen

Weather review for Friday

After a clear night, conditions were sunny during the day.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around +7 °C

Wind

Light.

Snowpack

The snowpack is pretty favourable in the north. Isolated avalanches may still be triggered, particularly in near-surface layers. In southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons, there are still faceted layers deeper in the snowpack, which are still prone to triggering, especially from the Davos region via Lower Engadine to Val Müstair, where a few avalanches have been triggered in the weak old snowpack in recent days. In Ticino, the weak layers in the old snowpack are now so heavily covered that only isolated avalanches may be triggered there.

The snowpack is water-saturated on southern slopes up into the high Alpine regions and on northern slopes below 1700 m. On eastern and western slopes, the snowpack is becoming increasingly saturated between 2400 and 3000 m. At these altitudes in regions with a weak snowpack structure, weak layers in the old snowpack are starting to become saturated for the first time. As a result, moist slab avalanches may occur spontaneously and may also be triggered by people.

During the clear night to Saturday, a strong melt-freeze crust will form on steep sunny slopes above approximately 2000 m. As daytime temperatures rise in the sunshine, this will soften as the day progresses and the risk of wet and gliding avalanches will increase.

Weather forecast to Saturday

After a clear night, conditions will be sunny during the day.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around +6 °C

Wind

Light, sometimes moderate northerly in the south in the afternoon

Outlook for Sunday and Monday

After mostly clear nights, conditions will be mainly sunny on both days. On Sunday, the zero-degree level will be around 3000 m the west, dropping towards 2000 m in the east; on Monday it will be between 2400 m in the west and 2000 m in the east. On Sunday, in the south and generally at high altitudes, there will be moderate to strong northerly winds. On Monday, winds will mostly be light.

The risk of dry avalanches will slowly decrease. As daytime temperatures rise in the sunshine, the risk of wet avalanches will increase during the day, most markedly in the west on Sunday.