Génépi

Considerable avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area

Considerable avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area

Weak layers in the old snowpack can be released in some places by individual winter sport participants. This applies in particular at transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack. Medium-sized and, in isolated cases, large avalanches are possible. In addition the sometimes avalanche-prone wind slabs should be taken into account. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for experience in the assessment of avalanche danger and careful route selection.

The freshly generated snowdrift accumulations from Friday are still prone to triggering in some places. Furthermore, deeply embedded inside the snowpack there are weak layers evident. In the central and eastern sectors of the northern flank of the Alps, these layers are deeply covered with fresher layers of snow in general and for that reason only in isolated cases prone to triggering. From the southern Valais over the northern Ticino as far as Grisons, the weak layers inside the old snowpack are particularly pronounced and the blanketing is less deep. In those places, particularly on shady slopes, avalanches can be triggered in these layers of the old snowpack by winter sports enthusiasts. In places where the snow is shallow and in transition zones from shallow to deep snow, avalanche prone locations are more frequent.

Following a night of partially clear skies there was snowfall registered in the northern regions during the morning hours. The snowfall level descended from 1300 m down to low lying areas. During the afternoon it became increasingly sunny. Fresh snow: Between Friday morning and Friday afternoon: - western part of the Jura region, northern flank of the Alps, northern Lower Valais: 10 to 20 cm; - in the remaining regions of Switzerland, only a few centimetres; in the furthermost southern regions it remained dry. Temperature: At midday at 2000 m, -6 °C in the northern regions and -3 °C in the southern regions. Wind: Winds were blowing at moderate strength, at strong velocity from place to place: - during the nocturnal hours from westerly directions; - during the daytime hours shifting to northwesterly. Following a night of clear skies it will be predominantly sunny during the daytime in spite of some high-altitude cloudbanks. Fresh snow: - Temperature: At midday at 2000 m, -2 °C in the northern regions and -6 °C in the southern regions. Wind: - Winds will be blowing predominantly at light to moderate strength from varying directions; - moderate-strength westerly winds will be blowing during the afternoon in the Prealps and the Jura region.

Sunday: On Sunday it will be predominantly sunny, in spite of some high-altitude cloudbanks. Winds will be blowing from the southwest at increasingly strong velocity during the afternoon. The avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly. Monday: Following a night of partially clear skies, a small amount of snowfall is expected in the western and the southern regions more than anywhere else during the daytime. The snowfall level will lie at approximately 1200 m. In the other regions of Switzerland, skies will be generally overcast. Winds will be blowing at strong velocity from southwesterly directions; in the Alpine valleys of the north, a strong-velocity foehn wind will be blowing. Avalanche danger levels are expected to increase somewhat as a result of a small amount of fresh snow and some wind.