During a night of predominantly clear skies the moist snowpack will stabilize. On south-facing slopes a melt-freeze crust
capable of bearing loads will be generated up to high alpine regions. As a result of daytime warming and solar radiation,
the snowpack will subsequently forfeit its stability rapidly starting in the morning. Wet-snow and gliding avalanches are
then to be expected, including large-sized releases.
In the uppermost third of the snowpck there is a marked weak layer evident in many regions. This layer is generally located
near the layers of dust blown northwards from the Sahara desert and deposited in February. In the Valais and in Grisons more
than anywhere else, isolated avalanches were triggered by persons in these layers during the last few days not only on north-facing,
but also on east-facing, south-facing and west-facing slopes. These triggerings occurred predominantaly during the afternoon
hours.
On high-altitude, steep north-facing slopes, most of the small snowdrift accumulations which generated on Friday can be triggered
in places.