Bex-Villars

Snowpack

Above approximately 2000 m, there is more snow than normal in mid-May, with as much as more than one and a half times the usual level for this time of year on the Main Alpine Ridge and south of this.

The last few days saw it snow widely at high altitudes, with heavy snowfall in the south. Dry avalanches may occur mainly in the new and drift snow. Hardly any fractures are to be expected deeper in the old snowpack.

Below approximately 3000 m, the old snowpack is soaked for all aspects.

Weather forecast until Saturday, 18.05.2024

After a fairly clear night, it will be fairly sunny in the early morning, and then cumulus clouds will rapidly form. In the south, after a cloudy night, the skies will clear during the day. Some precipitation will fall as showers, mainly in the afternoon and in the south. The snowfall level will be around 2300 m.

New snow

From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected to fall above approximately 2800 m:

• locally up to 15 cm;
• it will remain largely dry in central Valais and Grisons.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around +7 °C.

Wind

There will be mostly light southwesterly winds.

Weather review for Friday, 17.05.2024

There was precipitation during the night, mainly in the northeast. During the day, sunny weather moved in from the west and south, before cumulus clouds formed and there were showers. The snowfall level dropped from 2400 to 1900 m.

New snow

From Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow fell above approximately 2500 m:

• Alpstein: 30 to 40 cm;
• Main Alpine Ridge from Upper Valais to Upper Engadine and south of this: 20 to 30 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 5 to 15 cm.

This means that in the high Alpine regions 50 to 80 cm of snow has fallen in the last three days on the Main Alpine Ridge in Upper Valais, in Ticino, in Moesano and from Avers to Val Bregaglia and the Bernina region, and up to 120 cm of snow on the highest peaks in Ticino.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, widely around +4 °C, and +1 °C in the northeast.

Wind

There were light to moderate, and in the Alpstein strong, westerly winds.

Trend until Whit Monday, 20.05.2024

Saturday night into Sunday (Whit Sunday) will be partly clear, and Sunday night into Monday mostly clear. In the early morning on both days, it will be mostly sunny, before cumulus clouds form. In the south, the nights will be largely cloudy and the days only sunny at times. Both days will see showers and thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon. The snowfall level will rise from 2300 to 2800 m. There will be mostly light winds.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease. Except on steep north-facing slopes in the high Alpine regions, there will be increasingly favourable avalanche conditions in the early morning. The danger of wet and gliding avalanches will increase as each day progresses. Tours and hut ascents should be started early and completed in good time.

This will be the last regular avalanche bulletin of the season. The Avalanche Warning Service hopes you have some wonderful Whitsun tours.