Central Prealps
Manageable day. Moderate to considerable danger — read the terrain carefully.
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 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 has 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. Only on north-facing slopes sheltered from the wind is there still some loose, faceted snow at high altitudes. With increasing southerly winds, Monday will see small local snowdrift accumulations build up over the course of the day.
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.
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At midday at 2000 m, around +5 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south
Mostly light southwesterly to westerly winds
It will be mostly sunny in the mountains, with high broken cloud gathering in the afternoon in the south-west and south.
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At midday at 2000 m, between +5 °C in the north and 0 °C in the south
On Tuesday it will mostly be very cloudy with foehn-like bright spells in the east. Slight precipitation will set in on Tuesday morning on the main Alpine ridge in Valais and in the south and will continue until Wednesday morning. The snowfall level will rise from 1200 m on Tuesday to around 1600 m on Wednesday. Five to 10 cm of snowfall is expected, with up to 20 cm from Saas to the Simplon Pass and locally in north-western Ticino. There will be a moderate to strong southerly wind, with a moderate to strong foehn wind from the south in the Alpine valleys on the northern flank of the Alps. On Wednesday, conditions will be mostly sunny in the west and Valais and there will be sunny intervals in the east. It will be mostly very cloudy in the south. Winds will generally die down and be mostly light.
Avalanche danger will increase slightly on Tuesday with fresh snow in the south and drifting snow in the north. The danger will not change significantly on Wednesday.
Issued
14 Dec 15:33 UTC
Valid until
15 Dec 16:00 UTC
Next update
15 Dec 16:00 UTC
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