Iffigen

Moderate avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area.

Snowpack

The fresh fallen snow is being transported by northeasterly winds which are blowing at strong velocity in some places, and generating snowdrift accumulations which are prone to triggering. Beneath these snowdrift accumulations the old snow cover is quite favourably layered. As a consequence of the rainfall last weekend, the near-surface layers of the snowpack have become moist up to approximately 2800 m altitude, at lower altitudes the near-surface layers are thoroughly wet. Through the lower temperatures, the near-surface layers have frozen. Deeper down inside the snow cover, there are additional encrusted layers evident up to approximately 2600 m. In the high alpine regions the fresh snow and freshly generated snowdrift accumulations from the weekend are stabilising somewhat more slowly. Marked weak layers have not yet been discovered to date.

Weather forecast through Wednesday, 22.11.2023

In the northern regions, precipitation is expected to fall until midday, subsequently it will become dry and in the western regions, as well as in generally in the high alpine regions, will turn sunny. The snowfall level is expected to descend to below 1000 m during the morning hours. On the southern flank of the Alps it will be quite sunny as a consequence of the northerly winds.

Fresh snow

Between Tuesday evening and Wednesday midday, the following amounts of fresh snow are anticipated above 1200 m:

• regions north of an imaginary Rhine-Rhone line: 10 to 20 cm;
• remaining parts of northern and central Grisons: 5 to 10 cm;
• in the other regions of Switzerland only a few centimetres, or else it will remain dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -3 °C in the northern regions and 0 °C in the southern regions.

Wind

Winds will be blowing at moderate strength, at stronger velocity in the high alpine regions and in the south, from northerly directions.

Observed weather review Tuesday, 21.11.2023

In the northern regions skies were heavily overcast and there was intermittent precipitation registered. The snowfall level lay at approximately 1400 m. In the southern regions it was quite sunny.

Fresh snow

Between Monday night and Tuesday evening, the following amounts of fresh snow were registered above 1700 m:

• northern flank of the Alps: 5 to 10 cm;
• in the remaining regions of Switzerland only a few centimetres, or else it remained dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -3 °C in the northern regions and +1 °C in the southern regions.

Wind

• Winds in the northern regions were blowing at moderate strength, subsequently shifting from westerly to northerly;
• winds in the southern regions were blowing at moderate strength from northerly directions.

Outlook through Friday, 24.11.2023Thursday

On Thursday it will be sunny and mild. The zero-degree level is expected to ascend to 3800 m. Avalanche danger levels are expected to decrease slightly in the northern regions, in the southern regions avalanche danger is not expected to change significantly.

Friday

As a result of increasingly stormy northwesterly winds, skies in the northern regions will be heavily overcast by and large, and a small amount of precipitation is anticipated. The snowfall level will descend to below 1000 m by the evening hours. In the southern regions it will remain predominantly sunny. Avalanche danger levels will increase slightly in the northern regions, in the southern regions avalanche danger is not expected to change significantly.