As a consequence of fresh fallen snow and strong-velocity northerly winds, fresh snowdrift accumulations have been generated. They lie deposited atop unfavourable old snowpack surfaces and are prone to triggering in some places.
Beneath the new snow and freshly generated snowdrift accumulations of the last few days, the snowpack layering in the Jura region, on the northern flank of the Alps and in the western part of the Lower Valais is predominantly favourable. In the areas surrounding the rain crust which formed at the end of December, however, there are weak layers evident; where these layers are blanketed over by fresher snow they can be prone to triggering.
From the central part of the Valais over the northern Ticino as far as Grisons, the snowpack in frequent cases is expansively metamorphosed (faceted) to a massive extent and riddled with thin melt-freeze crusts. In places where the snow is shallow, one often breaks through down to the ground. As a result of the expansive metamorphosis of the uppermost layers, the tendency of the snowpack towards fracture propagation has decreased, thus, there were hardly any avalanches reported fracturing in the old snow during the last few weeks. In the furthermost southern regions there is very little snow on the ground.

On Thursday night in the northern and the eastern regions there was snowfall registered down to low lying areas. In the other regions of Switzerland, nocturnal skies were predominantly clear. During the daytime on Friday, skies were heavily overcast in the northern and eastern regions to begin with and a few centimetres of snowfall was registered. In the western and the southern regions it was predominantly sunny. In the eastern regions, skies brightened increasingly during the course of the day.

Between Thursday evening and Friday midday in the northeastern regions an additional 10 to 20 cm of fresh snow was registered, in the Glarus Alps as much as 25 cm of fresh snow from place to place. All in all from the beginning of this period of precipitation on Wednesday night until Friday midday, the following amounts of fresh snow were registered above approximately 1200 m:

• central and eastern sectors of the northern flank of the Alps, northern Tavetsch, northern Grisons: 10 to 20 cm; in the Glarus Alps 20 to 30 cm;
  
• eastern Bernese Alps, Goms, southern Tavetsch, central Grisons, northern Engadine: approximately 5 cm; up to 10 cm from place to place;
  
• in the other regions of Switzerland, only a few centimetres; or else, it remained dry.

At midday at 2000 m, -11 °C in the northern regions and -4 °C in the southern regions.

• Winds in the Jura region and in the western Prealps: a moderate to strong-velocity bise wind;
• in the southern regions: a moderate to strong-velocity northerly foehn wind;
  
• at high altitudes in general: moderate to strong-velocity winds, in some places on the northern Alpine Ridge in high alpine regions reaching storm strength, from northeasterly directions.

On Friday night the cloud cover will become more dense in the northern and eastern regions. In early morning hours in the eastern regions, light snowfall will set in, reaching down to low lying areas, and persist until evening. In the furthermost western regions, in the Valais and south of the Main Alpine Ridge, it will be predominantly sunny following a night of predominantly clear skies.

Between Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon, only a few centimetres of fresh snow is anticipated in the eastern regions.

Temperatures are expected to rise. At midday at 2000 m, between -3 °C in the western regions and -6 °C in the eastern regions, and 0 °C in the southern regions.

• in the Jura region and the western Prealps: a moderate to strong-velocity bise wind;
• in the southern regions: a moderate to strong-velocity northerly foehn wind;
• at high altitudes in general: moderate to strong-velocity northeasterly winds, blowing at storm strength in some places on the Main Alpine Ridge.

Following nights of clear skies it will be predominantly sunny and mild in the mountains on both days. The northerly winds and the bise are expected to slacken off. The snowdrift accumulations still need to be assessed with caution on-site. On steep sunny slopes, moist slides can possibly release from the fresh fallen snow during the course of the day.