As a consequence of fresh snow and storm-strength winds, large-sized snowdrift accumulations have been generated in the western
regions more than anywhere else. Beneath the layers of fresh snow and snowdrift accumulations from last week the old snowpack
surface in many regions was hardened and showed striking signs of rain, wind and sun. Particularly in the inneralpine regions
of the Valais and Grisons this crust manifests less pronounced effects and is frequently breakable.
From the central Valais over the northern Ticino as far as Grisons more than anywhere else, very isolated avalanches can be
triggered in the old snow at high altitudes. This is possible in expansively metamorphosed (faceted) loose-snow layers either
immediately beneath the rain crust which formed at the end of December or more deeply embedded inside the snowpack.