Fresh and drifted snow is prone to triggering at high altitudes, and such layers are at their thickest on the main Alpine ridge and south of there. North of the main Alpine ridge, fresh snowdrift accumulations are mostly small to medium-sized.

Over the often cloudy night into Wednesday, the surface of the snowpack will barely freeze, even at high altitudes. With the further decrease in temperature, isolated wet avalanches will remain possible, especially on north-facing slopes between 2200 and 2600 m, where the snowpack is becoming wet for the first time.

After a mostly cloudy night, there was hardly any sunshine during the day. On the main Alpine ridge and south of there, some snow fell above approximately 2000 m.

Fresh snow

From Sunday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon above approximately 2300 m:

• main Alpine ridge in Valais, Val Bedretto: 10 to 20 cm
• rest of Valais, main Alpine ridge from the Gotthard Pass and south of there: a few centimetres

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +7 °C in the north and +1 °C in the south

Wind

Strong southerly during the night, moderate to strong during the day

The first half of the night will continue to see some clear intervals in the east. Elsewhere there will be frequent precipitation, which will be heaviest in the south. The snowfall level will drop to around 1900 m in the west and in northern Ticino, while in the east and far south it will remain at 2200 m.

Fresh snow

From Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, above around 2500 m:

• main Alpine ridge from the Nufenen Pass to the Bernina region and south of there: 20 to 40 cm, locally up to 50 cm
• directly adjacent to the north, northern Alpine ridge from the Trient region to the Glarus Alps and rest of main Alpine ridge in Valais: 10 to 20 cm
• other regions a widespread 5 to 10 cm

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +4 °C in the northeast and +2 °C elsewhere

Wind

Moderate south to southwesterly, easing somewhat in the west during the day

During the night into Thursday, some snow will continue to fall above approximately 1800 m, especially in the south and east. During the day, it will be cloudy with bright intervals and isolated showers. In Valais, conditions will be very sunny. On Friday, it will be cloudy with bright intervals on the southern flank of the Alps and elsewhere reasonably sunny. Winds will be mostly light southerlies on both days.

There will be hardly any change in the danger of dry avalanches on Thursday. On Friday the danger will decrease, but only slowly on steep west-, north- and east-facing slopes at high altitudes. Where there is sunshine, moist loose snow avalanches are to be expected in those regions with fresh snow. Isolated wet avalanches which sweep away the entire snowpack are possible in isolated cases, especially on north-facing slopes between 2200 and 2500 m.