Bedrettotal

Moderate avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area. Weak layers in the old snowpack necessitate caution.

Avalanches can in isolated cases be released by people and reach medium size. The avalanche prone locations are rare but are barely recognisable. They are to be found in particular on very steep shady slopes. Caution is to be exercised in particular in areas where the snow cover is rather shallow. Backcountry touring calls for careful route selection.

As a consequence of warming during the day and solar radiation gliding avalanches and moist snow slides are to be expected, but they will be mostly small.

Snowpack Over a wide area above approximately 2000 m, last week’s fresh snow and snow drift accumulations are lying on a weak old snowpack. In many places the base of the snowpack is faceted and loosely bonded. In some cases avalanches can be released easily and penetrate deep layers of the snowpack. In addition, snow drift accumulations formed on Sunday and Monday, in particular in the western part of the northern flank of the Alps and generally in the high Alpine regions. In some cases these can still be released as avalanches. As a consequence of solar radiation and temperatures that are unusually mild for the time of year, moist snow slides and gliding avalanches can occur on very steep sunny facing slopes and in snow-covered rocky areas. Observed weather review Monday, 19.12.2022 In view of the often fairly dense high-altitude cloud, there was only little sunshine. Fresh snow - Temperature At midday at 2000 m: between +7 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south Wind

• On the northern flank of the Alps, in the Jura and generally at elevated altitudes, moderate from the west to southwest
• Otherwise mostly light

Weather forecast through Tuesday, 20.12.2022 The night will be partly clear. During the day it will be quite sunny in the mountains despite occasional high-altitude cloud. It will be exceptionally mild again. Fresh snow - Temperature At midday at 2000 m: between +7 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south; the zero degree level will be approximately 3500 m Wind

• In the west and the regions that are regularly exposed to the foehn wind, and generally at elevated altitudes, moderate; in the west occasionally strong, from the south to southwest
• Otherwise mostly light

Outlook through Thursday, 22.12.2022 Wednesday On Tuesday night, precipitation will arrive from the northwest. Wednesday and Thursday will be very cloudy in the north. Precipitation will fall at times, but continuously in the west. In some regions here more than 40 cm of snow could fall at high altitudes. The snowfall level will drop for a while from 1800 m to 1300 m. On the southern flank of the Alps it will be partly sunny and mainly dry. As a consequence of snowfall and a moderate to strong westerly wind, the avalanche danger will increase at high altitudes over a wide area in the north and west. On the southern flank of the Alps it will not change significantly.