Bex-Villars

Snowpack

New snow and wind slabs are prone to triggering and currently represent the main danger over a wide area. Slab avalanches can be released within these layers or at the transition to the old snowpack. Hardly any fractures deeper in the snowpack are to be expected.

Under the new fallen snow, the snowpack has become soaked up to around 3000 m on south- and west-facing slopes, up to around 2500 m on east-facing slopes and up to around 2200 m on north-facing slopes. Despite the significant drop in temperatures, gliding avalanches are still possible, some of which may be large.

Weather forecast until Wednesday, 10.04.2024

Tuesday night into Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with snowfall. During the day, the precipitation will ease in the west and south and there will be brighter spells, especially in the west. In the north and east, it will remain overcast with snowfall. The snowfall level will be between 1000 and 1200 m in the north and between 1400 and 1800 m in the south.

New snow

The following amounts of snow will fall above approximately 1800 m by Wednesday afternoon:

• northern flank of the Alps east of the Reuss, Grisons: 20 to 40 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 10 to 20 cm.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -4 °C in the north and +1 °C in the south.

Wind

• There will be moderate to strong northeasterly winds at high altitudes.
• A strong foehn wind from the north will blow in Ticino.
• There will be a moderate Bise wind in the western Prealps.

Weather review for Tuesday, 09.04.2024

It remained quite sunny for a long time in Lower Engadine, but was mostly overcast elsewhere. Precipitation began in the early morning in the west and south, but not until the afternoon in the east. The snowfall level fell rapidly. In the middle of the day, it was 1500 m in the northwest and 2200 m in Valais and the south.

New snow

From the start of the precipitation on Tuesday morning until Tuesday afternoon, the following amounts of snow fell above approximately 2200 m:

• from the Trient area to the Great St Bernard Pass, the Simplon region, Goms, Urseren, Bedretto and Valle Maggia: 15 to 30 cm, or up to 40 cm in the Ticino regions;
• rest of Valais, western and central parts of the northern flank of the Alps, Valle Leventina, Tavetsch: 5 to 15 cm.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -2 °C in the west and +6 °C in the east.

Wind

• There was a storm-force foehn wind in the north during the night.
• An often moderate southerly wind blew during the day, especially at high altitudes.

Trend until Friday, 12.04.2024

It will be sunny and mild. There will be a light wind. The danger of dry avalanches will decrease. After the clear nights, rather favourable conditions are increasingly to be expected in the early mornings. As the day progresses, wet avalanches are to be expected, especially from the new fallen snow. Gliding avalanches are still expected, including large ones. Although these will become more frequent as the day progresses, some may also be released during the night or in the early morning.