Calanda

On the northern flank of the Alps, the fresh and drifted snow which has fallen over the last week on high-altitude wind-protected shady slopes is lying on an often faceted and therefore weak old snow surface. Elsewhere, the snow surface has often been shaped by the wind and is frequently frozen solid below 2400 m.

In western and northern Lower Valais, the snowpack structure is relatively favourable.

In other regions, the snowpack is thin and weak, and mostly consists of faceted crystals with embedded crusts. Snowdrift accumulations deposited on top of this snowpack are in some cases triggerable. In addition, isolated avalanches in the old snowpack close to the ground cannot be ruled out, especially on the Main Alpine Ridge in Upper Valais and on the central part of the southern flank of the Alps. However, no more such avalanches have been reported in the last week.

It was sunny and cold in the mountains.

Fresh snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -12 °C in the north and -8 °C in the south

Wind

Northerly wind:

• Moderate to strong along the Main Alpine Ridge and to the south of it
• Elsewhere mostly light

In the mountains it will be sunny and remain cold.

Fresh snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -12 °C

Wind

Northwesterly wind:

• Moderate on the Main Alpine Ridge and to the south of it, sometimes strong in the afternoon at higher altitudes
• Elsewhere light to moderate

There will be widespread precipitation on Thursday and Friday, which will be intense in the west and north from Thursday afternoon. In the extreme west of Lower Valais and northern Lower Valais, a total of 60 to 80 cm of snow is expected to fall; in the rest of Valais and on the northern flank of the Alps, 30 to 60 cm is expected. The snowfall level will increase temporarily to 1600 m in the west and north overnight to Friday, and will remain at low altitude elsewhere. The snowfall will be accompanied by a strong to storm-force westerly wind.

The avalanche danger will increase significantly in the west and north. Danger level 4, high, is expected to be reached in Lower Valais on Friday. The avalanche danger will also increase slightly in Grisons, but will not change significantly in the south.