Martigny-Verbier

Snowpack

The large amount of new fallen snow that has been falling for a week, especially on the southern flank of the Alps, is increasingly settling and consolidating. Here, it is mainly the most recent new snow and wind slab layers that are prone to triggering. Snow will continue to fall on Sunday, mainly in the south. In regions with less new fallen snow, new snow and wind slabs are prone to triggering, especially on north-facing slopes, where they lie on an unfavourable old snow surface consisting of soft, faceted layers.

In Valais, Ticino and Grisons, deeper layers of the snowpack are also loose and faceted, especially on steep north-facing slopes. In these regions, isolated avalanches can still be triggered in deeper layers of the snowpack.

Below approximately 1800 m, the new snow in the south is moist and some moist snow slides and gliding avalanches have been triggered.

Weather forecast to Sunday

It will be mostly cloudy in the north. Some snow will fall at times. In the inneralpine regions it will be partly brighter. Precipitation will continue to fall in the south, decreasing in the afternoon. The snowfall level will be between 800 and 1000 m in the north and between 1400 and 1600 m in the south.

Fresh snow

From Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 1800 m:

• Saas Valley, Simplon region, central part of the southern flank of the Alps, Val Bregaglia, Bernina region, Val Poschiavo: 10 to 20 cm, from the Strahlhorn to the Simplon Pass up to 30 cm.
• Elsewhere, widespread 5 to 10 cm, with only a few centimetres in the northeast.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -4 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

During the night still light to moderate from the southeast, during the day mostly light from different directions.

Weather review for Saturday

It was mostly cloudy, with bright spells in Valais and some parts of the north. Precipitation fell in the south, falling as snow above approximately 1600 m.

Fresh snow

From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 1800 m:

• Ticino: 15 to 25 cm.
• Western Jura, Great St. Bernard, rest of the Main Alpine Ridge from the Simplon region to the Bernina region: 5 to 15 cm.
• Elsewhere a few centimetres or dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

• Mostly moderate at high altitudes, otherwise light to moderate from the southeast.
• During the night, moderate to strong Bise wind in the Jura and the Prealps, easing during the day.

OutlookMonday

In the west and south, it will be mostly sunny in the mountains and increasingly sunny in the north and east. There will be moderate northeasterly winds at higher altitudes. In the Jura and the Prealps, there will be moderate to strong Bise winds as the day progresses.

The danger of dry avalanches will slowly decrease. With plenty of sunshine, wet loose snow avalanches are to be expected, especially in regions exposed to a lot of new snow.

Tuesday

It will be mostly sunny in the north. In the south, it will initially be cloudy with light snowfall at low altitudes. As the day progresses, it will be increasingly sunny in the south.

The danger of dry avalanches will continue to decrease. Moist snow slides and occasional gliding avalanches are still possible.