Valais Chablais
Vouvry
Stable day. Low, with wet snow and gliding snow named together — one of them visible at the surface, the other buried.
Day Risk Profile
Avalanche Problems
Wet snow + Gliding snow
1
Field notes
Wet snow
Rolling snowballs, deep penetration when you step or ski, and small natural slides are clear signals that the Snow deposited on the ground in a multiplicity of layers.EAWS glossary is losing strength. After a clear, cold night the surface often freezes into a strong supporting Layer of hard-compacted snow resulting from a melt-freeze process or wind.EAWS glossary, and conditions are favourable in the early morning. After a warm, overcast night, the problem may be present from the start of the day. Plan early returns and watch the runout zones below you.
Gliding snow
Almost impossible to predict precisely, even when the warning signs are visible. A crack visible on the snowpack surface formed by snow-gliding on steep, and particularly grass-covered slopes. Areas below slopes with visible glide cracks should be avoided whenever possible due to threat of gliding sluffs or avalanches.EAWS glossary — gaps that open in the Snow deposited on the ground in a multiplicity of layers.EAWS glossary down to the ground — are often precursors to release, but they don't tell you when. A glide avalanche can release minutes after the cracks appear, or weeks later, or not at all. Some release without any visible warning. Avoid lingering anywhere near glide cracks: above them, alongside them, or below in the runout.
Snowpack & Weather
Snowpack
In Areas above approximately 3000 m (particularly glaciated areas).EAWS glossary, last week's fresh and drifted snow is lying primarily on steep north-facing slopes on Snowpack layer in which the crystals are poorly bonded and the layer has the potential to fail. Typical crystals in dry weak layers causing avalanches are : precipitation particles; surface hoar; faceted crystals; hollow crystals; graupel. Generally >1mm in size, loose grains with few bonds Wet weak layers can be formed by all snow crystal/grain types.EAWS glossary in the upper part of the Snow layers deposited from earlier precipitation, prior to fresh fallen snow. Old snow layers consist of metamorphosed snow crystals.EAWS glossary. Avalanche reports from recent days confirm that these weak layers are in some cases prone to triggering.
Further saturation of the Snow deposited on the ground in a multiplicity of layers.EAWS glossary is currently scarcely progressing. Avalanche of wet snow masses. Flowing more slowly than dry avalanches; usually for shorter runout distances, however with greater impact on obstacles due to higher snow density.EAWS glossary that can sweep away the entire snowpack are therefore relatively rare. The most critical areas are north-facing slopes between 2200 and 2600 m.
Weather review for Saturday
Overnight to Saturday, some heavy showers and storms passed through in the north, but in southern Valais, Grisons and Ticino, the night sky was often clear. During the day, conditions were very sunny with some denser patches of cloud, especially in the east.
Fresh snow
A few centimetres on the northern Alpine ridge in Areas above approximately 3000 m (particularly glaciated areas).EAWS glossary
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, around +8 °C
Wind
Light southerly, sometimes moderate overnight
Weather forecast to Sunday
There will be mostly cloudy skies overnight to Sunday. In the morning, there will be precipitation especially in the south, but also in the west during the day. The snowfall level will be around 2400 m. The east will remain mostly dry with brighter intervals.
Fresh snow
On the main Alpine ridge and south of there above 2800 m, up to 10 cm, elsewhere less or dry
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, +6 °C in the west, +4 °C in the south and +8 °C in the east
Wind
Increasingly moderate southwesterly wind during the day
Outlook to Tuesday
There will be widespread precipitation until Tuesday morning. The snowfall level on Monday will be around 2100 m, dropping during the night to Tuesday to 1800 m, and as low as 1400 m in the northeast. On the northern Alpine ridge and in westernmost Lower Valais, a total of 20 to 40 cm of snow will fall at high altitudes, with 15 to 30 cm in Grisons. During the daytime on Tuesday conditions will be very sunny in the south and in Valais, while elsewhere cloudy intervals will continue. On Monday, there will be a moderate westerly wind, which will become increasingly strong from the afternoon onwards, reaching storm-force at times in Areas above approximately 3000 m (particularly glaciated areas).EAWS glossary. On Tuesday the wind will ease off as the day progresses.
The fresh snow and strong winds will create snowdrift accumulations that are prone to triggering. The danger of dry avalanches will increase, especially in Areas above approximately 3000 m (particularly glaciated areas).EAWS glossary. In addition, with the sunshine on Tuesday the fresh snow is expected to produce loose snow avalanches and wet snow slides.