Martigny-Verbier

Snowpack

With mild weather, overcast nights and some rain, the snowpack continues to become water-saturated. On southern slopes, the snowpack is water-saturated up into the high Alpine regions, while on eastern and western slopes, the majority is water-saturated up to around 2800 m. North-facing slopes are water-saturated up to around 2000 m. The snowpack is becoming water-saturated up to around 2400 m on northern slopes. When water first comes into contact with weak layers, these layers quickly become even weaker. This mainly affects southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons, where there are faceted layers deeper in the snowpack. Here, moist slab avalanches can also be triggered by human activity in some places. The snowpack is more favourable in the north.

Weather forecast to Tuesday

The Main Alpine Ridge and south of it will be overcast with precipitation. The snowfall level will be between 2000 and 2400 m. To the north, it will be overcast during the night and in the late morning. In the afternoon, however, it will rapidly clear up from the west.

Fresh snow

Until Tuesday afternoon, the following amounts of snow will fall above approximately 2500 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge: 10 to 20 cm; Bernina region: up to 30 cm;
• Northern Alpine Ridge and the rest of Engadine: a few centimetres, otherwise dry

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +6 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south

Wind

• Moderate southerly wind, strong at times
• Foehn wind in the valleys of the north

Weather review for Monday

The night into Monday was mostly very cloudy. The surface of the snowpack cooled the most in southern Valais and Lower Engadine due to bright spells. During the day there were bright spells on the northern flank of the Alps, in Valais and in the northern parts of Grisons.

Fresh snow

A few centimetres in some regions with a snowfall level of around 2000 m

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, +7 °C in the north and +2 °C in the south

Wind

• Mostly moderate from southerly directions at high altitudes

Outlook

On Wednesday and Thursday it will be brighter with a foehn wind at times in the east. In the other regions, it will be very cloudy with precipitation. The snowfall level will initially be between 2000 and 2400 m. On Wednesday, it will drop towards 1500 m in the west as the day progresses, and then also in the north on Thursday. In the east and south, it is expected to remain above 2000 m. The region exposed to heavier precipitation lies on the Main Alpine Ridge from Valais to Val Moesa and south of there, with precipitation spreading northwards into the Bernese Oberland. In the core area from the Upper Visp valleys to Binntal, 150 to 180 cm of snow will fall at high altitudes, otherwise 50 to 80 cm over a wide area. Less snow will fall outside the region exposed to heavier precipitation. There will be a strong to stormy wind from southerly directions.

The avalanche danger will increase significantly in the regions exposed to heavier precipitation on Wednesday and is likely to reach level 4 (high) from the afternoon from the Upper Visp valleys via the Saas Valley and Simplon region to Binntal. The avalanche danger will also increase significantly in most other regions, where it can also reach level 4 (high) in some regions.