Central Grisons and Anterior Rhine

Zervreila

Thu 19 Mar Sunrise 07:28 19:34 Overcast

Hard-to-read day. Persistent or gliding-snow problems can mask the real risk.

Day Risk Profile

Considerable
All day

Avalanche Problems

Dry snow level 3 Wind slab + Persistent weak layers dry All day
N, NE, E, W, NW
above 2200m
As a consequence of a sometimes strong southeasterly wind, further wind slabs formed on Wednesday. The fresh snow of the weekend and the wind slabs are lying on surface hoar in some places on wind-protected shady slopes. Single winter sport participants can release avalanches. Avalanches can in some cases penetrate near-ground layers of the snowpack and reach large size. Whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack can indicate the danger. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for experience in the assessment of avalanche danger.
Wet snow level 2 Wet snow wet All day
E, SE, S, SW, W
below 2200m
As a consequence of solar radiation moist snow slides and avalanches are possible as the day progresses. They can reach large size in isolated cases. In addition individual gliding avalanches are possible.

Snowpack & Weather

Snowpack

Near-surface layers on wind-protected shady slopes are lying on surface hoar in places. During the course of this week, snowdrift accumulations have formed in winds from varying directions, with Wednesday's strong winds being from the southeast. The snowdrift accumulations are particularly prone to triggering on shady slopes.

In the inneralpine regions of Valais and Grisons, the layers of fresh and drifted snow are additionally lying on a weak old snowpack with pronounced near-ground weak layers. Avalanches can sometimes propagate into these deep weak layers or be triggered there directly in isolated cases. In other regions, weak layers in old near-ground snowpack still remain in places on shady slopes but are now mainly so thickly covered that they are largely insensitive to triggering.

Weather review for Wednesday

After a mainly clear night, conditions were mostly sunny, with broken cloud in the west and south. Cloud cover was thicker in places on the main Alpine ridge in Upper Valais. There was a light sprinkling of snow locally above around 1300 m, especially in the Simplon region.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around 0 °C in the west and south and -3 °C in the east.

Wind

  • Moderate north to northeasterly during the night
  • Veering moderate to strong southeasterly on Wednesday morning, occasionally strong to storm-force along the northern Alpine ridge
  • Occasionally moderate to strong foehn wind in the foehn valleys of the north
  • Strong bise wind in the Jura
Weather forecast to Thursday

After a clear night, conditions will be sunny in the mountains. Cumulus cloud will develop during the day along the Prealps.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around 0 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south

Wind

  • Light to moderate northeasterly
  • Light to moderate Bise wind in the Jura
Outlook to Saturday

Overnight to Friday, conditions will mostly be clear while during the day it will be sunny with broken cloud in the afternoon. There will be a light to moderate northeasterly wind. Overnight to Saturday, conditions will be partly cloudy, especially in the south, otherwise mostly clear. Variable cloud cover with sunny intervals and local showers is expected during the day. The snowfall level will be around 1200 m and the northeasterly wind will remain light to moderate. Saturday's weather conditions are, however, still uncertain.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease. As daytime temperatures rise in the sunshine, the danger of wet avalanches will increase somewhat on steep sunny slopes over the course of each day. Isolated gliding avalanches will be possible.

Issued

19 Mar 07:00 UTC

Valid until

19 Mar 16:00 UTC

Next update

19 Mar 16:00 UTC

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