Upper Engadine and Silvretta
Val Chamuera
Day Risk Profile
Avalanche Problems
Wind slab + Persistent weak layers
3-
Field notes
Wind slab
Look for fresh snow deposits on Slope facing downwind/ wind sheltered aspect. Snow deposits can attain several times average snow depth.EAWS glossary, in Usually a steep, elongated, eroded trench; typically prone to snowdrift accumulation.EAWS glossary and Rounded or elongated concavity; typically tending to accumulate snowdrift.EAWS glossary, and behind ridgelines and abrupt changes in terrain — these are where the wind has loaded the snow into slabs that are easy to trigger. Recent avalanches, shooting cracks under your weight, and Distinctive noise (resembling a “whumpf” sound) occurring when a weak layer beneath a slab collapses. The air of the weak layer is forced outside the snowpack, with the resulting whumpf sound being heard. The sound usually indicates an unstable situation and can be accompanied by surface cracking. A whumpf is a clear avalanche alert.EAWS glossary sounds are clear confirmations of the problem. The safest move is to avoid wind-loaded terrain entirely. NB wind signs alone don't always mean an avalanche problem exists, and the age of drifted snow is hard to judge.
Persistent weak layers
Persistent Snowpack layer in which the crystals are poorly bonded and the layer has the potential to fail. Typical crystals in dry weak layers causing avalanches are : precipitation particles; surface hoar; faceted crystals; hollow crystals; graupel. Generally >1mm in size, loose grains with few bonds Wet weak layers can be formed by all snow crystal/grain types.EAWS glossary are very challenging to recognise. Distinctive noise (resembling a “whumpf” sound) occurring when a weak layer beneath a slab collapses. The air of the weak layer is forced outside the snowpack, with the resulting whumpf sound being heard. The sound usually indicates an unstable situation and can be accompanied by surface cracking. A whumpf is a clear avalanche alert.EAWS glossary sounds and shooting cracks are typical when present, but you can have a serious weak layer with no warning signs at the surface. Knowledge of how the Snow deposited on the ground in a multiplicity of layers.EAWS glossary has evolved is essential. SLF's travel advice is direct: travel conservatively, avoid terrain where the consequences of being caught are large, and treat the history of weather and snow as more important than what you can see today. Read the full bulletin.
Wet snow
2
Field notes
Rolling snowballs, deep penetration when you step or ski, and small natural slides are clear signals that the Snow deposited on the ground in a multiplicity of layers.EAWS glossary is losing strength. After a clear, cold night the surface often freezes into a strong supporting Layer of hard-compacted snow resulting from a melt-freeze process or wind.EAWS glossary, and conditions are favourable in the early morning. After a warm, overcast night, the problem may be present from the start of the day. Plan early returns and watch the runout zones below you.
Snowpack & Weather
Snowpack
On wind-protected shady slopes, the weekend’s fresh snow is lying on Transparent, frequently flat crystals forming on the snowpack when moist air settles on the surface. It forms most often during cold, clear, humid nights. Once it is blanketed by fresh fallen snow, surface hoar is one of the most critical weak layer. See also: www.snowcrystals.itEAWS glossary in some places. Loose fresh snow is additionally being transported by strong winds from variable directions resulting in the formation of snowdrift accumulations that are prone to triggering. Further small-scale snowdrift accumulations will form in Wednesday's strong southerly winds.
In the inneralpine regions of Valais and Grisons, the layers of fresh and drifted snow are also lying on a weak Snow layers deposited from earlier precipitation, prior to fresh fallen snow. Old snow layers consist of metamorphosed snow crystals.EAWS glossary with pronounced near-ground Snowpack layer in which the crystals are poorly bonded and the layer has the potential to fail. Typical crystals in dry weak layers causing avalanches are : precipitation particles; surface hoar; faceted crystals; hollow crystals; graupel. Generally >1mm in size, loose grains with few bonds Wet weak layers can be formed by all snow crystal/grain types.EAWS glossary. 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 Snow deposited on the ground in a multiplicity of layers.EAWS glossary still remain in places on shady slopes but are now mainly so thickly covered that they are largely insensitive to triggering.
Weather review for Tuesday
Overnight to Tuesday, there was broken cloud in the east with a little snow falling above 1200 m. Elsewhere the night was mainly clear. During the day, conditions were mainly sunny while the east became increasingly sunny once any remaining cloud had broken up.
Fresh snow
Central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps, northern Grisons: 2 to 5 cm
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, around +1 °C in the west and south and -4 °C in the east.
Wind
- At high altitudes, moderate to strong, mostly moderate from northerly directions during the day
- Moderate to strong northerly foehn wind in the Alpine valleys of the south overnight to Tuesday
- Moderate to strong bise wind in the Jura
Weather forecast to Wednesday
Skies will mainly be clear overnight to Wednesday with broken cloud over central and southern Ticino. Conditions will mainly be sunny during the day and increasingly sunny as the day progresses in the far south.
Fresh snow
-
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, around 0 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south
Wind
- Mainly moderate northerly to northeasterly overnight to Wednesday
- Moderate to strong easterly to southeasterly during the day
- Moderate southerly foehn wind during the day in the upper foehn valleys of the north.
- Strong bise wind in the Jura
Outlook to Friday
After clear nights in the mountains, conditions will mainly be sunny on Thursday and Friday with broken cloud cover developing on Friday especially in the south. There will be a light to moderate northeasterly to easterly wind. The zero-degree level will be about 2000 m around midday on both days.
The danger of dry avalanches will decrease, but only slowly on shady slopes. With solar radiation and daytime warming, the danger of wet avalanches will increase somewhat on steep sunny slopes over the course of each day. Isolated gliding avalanches will be possible.