Valais Chablais

Monthey-Val d'Illiez

Sun 1 Mar Sunrise 08:11 19:18 Drizzle

Hard-to-read day. Persistent or gliding-snow problems can mask the real risk.

Day Risk Profile

Moderate
All day

Avalanche Problems

Dry snow level 2 Persistent weak layers dry All day
N, NE, E, SE, W, NW
above 2000m
Winter sport participants can release avalanches in some places. These can in isolated cases be triggered in deep layers and reach dangerously large size. The avalanche prone locations are rather rare but are barely recognisable. Such avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular at transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack, when entering gullies and bowls for example. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for careful route selection.

Snowpack & Weather

Snowpack

North of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine and in the extreme west of Lower Valais, weak layers in the snowpack are mostly thickly covered and can only rarely be triggered by human activity.

South of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine, the persistent weak layers that have been a feature since the beginning of January are still present. However, the number of avalanche-prone locations is decreasing. Reports of avalanches and alarm signs indicate that the situation in central and southern Grisons remains the most precarious. In southern Valais, the pronounced weak layers in the lower part of the snowpack are mostly more thickly covered. Avalanche-prone locations where avalanches can be triggered in the weak old snowpack are therefore less numerous there and are mainly located in areas with relatively little snow.

Snowpack surface freezing will be poor during the overcast night to Sunday. Despite falling temperatures, individual gliding avalanches remain possible on steep grassy slopes.

Weather review for Saturday

After the passage of cloud during the night, Saturday was mostly sunny and mild in the mountains throughout the day.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m between +4 °C in Valais and Grisons and +2 °C on the northern and southern flanks of the Alps

Wind

Mostly light from southerly directions

Weather forecast to Sunday

The night to Sunday will be mostly very cloudy with a little precipitation in the north. The west will be very sunny in the morning, while the east will see more bright spells In the afternoon. On the southern flank of the Alps, conditions will be overcast with a little precipitation.

Fresh snow

Along the Prealps above 1200 m and on the central part of the southern flank of the Alps above 1500 m: a few centimetres

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m around 0 °C

Wind

Mostly light from southerly directions, occasionally moderate at high altitudes

Outlook to Tuesday

Overnight to Monday conditions will be overcast on the southern flank of the Alps with a little snowfall above 1500 m into the morning. There will be brighter intervals later on. Other regions will be sunny after a clear night. On Tuesday conditions will generally be mostly sunny. Winds will be mostly light on both days.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease, but only slowly in southern Valais, Ticino and particularly in Grisons due to the pronounced weak layers. Gliding avalanches will still be possible in isolated cases.

Issued

1 Mar 07:00 UTC

Valid until

1 Mar 16:00 UTC

Next update

1 Mar 16:00 UTC

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