Rothenthurm

In Lower Valais, northern Valais and the Bernese Oberland, there is as much snow at high altitudes as usual for this time of year, but less in the other regions. There is particularly little snow on the southern flank of the Alps and at intermediate altitudes on the eastern part of the northern flank of the Alps.

Weak layers in the snowpack are located in particular on northern and eastern slopes above approximately 2400 m. Hardly any avalanches have been triggered in the last four days, except in southern Lower Valais. Here, human activity triggered isolated avalanches in the weak old snowpack.

Below approximately 2800 m, the surface of the snowpack is stable on very steep southern slopes, otherwise it is mostly brittle. On northern slopes, the snow is sometimes looser and faceted at high altitudes. Below approximately 2100 m, the snowpack beneath the melt-freeze crust is saturated. Wet and gliding avalanche activity has decreased appreciably. Isolated wet snow slides and gliding avalanches are possible with the sunshine and rising temperatures during the daytime.

Conditions were sunny and mild in the mountains.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around +5 °C

Wind

Mostly light from southerly directions

Conditions will be sunny and mild in the mountains.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +5 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south

Wind

Mostly light southwesterly to westerly winds

On Monday it will be mostly sunny in the mountains, with high broken cloud cover moving in from the southwest in the afternoon. On Tuesday it will mostly be very cloudy with foehn-like bright spells in the east. In the south and on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais, light precipitation will set in on Tuesday morning, but the precipitation forecast is still uncertain. The southwesterly wind will freshen on Monday and will be moderate to strong. In the alpine valleys on the northern flank of the Alps, there will be moderate to strong southerly foehn winds and it will continue to be mild.

The avalanche danger will increase slightly on Monday during the course of the day with small snowdrift accumulations that are sometimes prone to triggering. On Tuesday, it will increase somewhat in the south during the course of the day with new fallen snow.