Churfirsten and Rhine Valley

Sarganserland

Tue 10 Feb Sunrise 08:34 18:38 Snow

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 Wind slab + Persistent weak layers dry All day
N, NE, E, SE, W, NW
above 1800m
The fresh and somewhat older wind slabs are in some cases prone to triggering. The avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular in gullies and bowls, and behind abrupt changes in the terrain. Avalanches can additionally in isolated cases be released in the old snowpack also. These avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular at transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack. Small and, in isolated cases, medium-sized avalanches are possible. Careful route selection is recommended.

Snowpack & Weather

Snowpack

Snowpack structure is unfavourable in many locations in southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons, with distinct weak layers that are prone to triggering in the middle and lower part of the snowpack. Whumpfing sounds and avalanches triggered by human activity, often remotely, continue to be reported from these regions. Snowpack structure is somewhat more favourable on the northern flank of the Alps and in northern Valais, but there are weak layers deeper in the snowpack in these regions too. These may still be triggered, especially where there is little snow and at transitions from a deep to shallow snowpack.

Weather review for Monday

Conditions were very cloudy in the south, with light snowfall above approximately 1400 m. Elsewhere, there were sunny intervals in the mountains, with cloud thickening from the west.

Fresh snow

On the central part of the southern flank of the Alps a few centimetres above 1400 m

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -3°C

Wind

Moderate southeasterly winds at times on the Northern Alpine Ridge, otherwise mostly light

Weather forecast to Tuesday

In the north, conditions will range from cloudy with bright intervals to very cloudy, with the brighter intervals primarily occurring in the Visp valleys and Grisons. In the south, conditions will be very cloudy. Some precipitation is expected, especially in the west and south. The snowfall level will be between 1000 and 1500 m.

Fresh snow

  • Jura, extreme west of Lower Valais, northern Valais, central part of the southern flank of the Alps: 5 to 15 cm
  • otherwise a few centimetres, dry in central Grisons and the Engadine

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -2°C in the north and -5°C in the south

Wind

Increasingly moderate southwesterly, strong in the west

Outlook for Wednesday and Thursday

On the southern flank of the Alps, both days will see cloudy skies with bright intervals and some precipitation. In the north, conditions will be very cloudy, with repeated precipitation, which will be centred in particular in the west and on the northern flank of the Alps. More than a metre of fresh snow is expected in westernmost and northern Lower Valais, otherwise 70 to 100 cm on the northern flank of the Alps west of the Reuss and in Lower Valais, 40 to 70 cm on the northern flank of the Alps east of the Reuss and in Upper Valais, elsewhere less. The snowfall level will drop from 1800 m to 1200 m in the north and will be at 1300 m in the south. The wind will often be strong to storm-force from westerly directions. Avalanche risk will increase rapidly and significantly to level 4 (high) on Wednesday in many areas on the western part of the northern flank of the Alps and in Valais. Avalanche risk will increase in other regions too, most notably on the rest of the northern flank of the Alps, in the Gotthard region and in northern Grisons.

Issued

10 Feb 07:00 UTC

Valid until

10 Feb 16:00 UTC

Next update

10 Feb 16:00 UTC

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