Moderate avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area. Wind slabs require caution
Edition: 23.1.2022, 17:00 / Next update: 24.1.2022, 18:00
Snowpack
New snow and snowdrifts from the last few days lie deposited atop an unfavourable old snowpack surface in many places and are prone to triggering from place to place. Beneath them 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. Only in those areas of the rain crust which formed at the end of December are there in places faceted, soft layers evident which in isolated cases are still prone to triggering.
From the central part of the Valais over the northern Ticino as far as Grisons, the entire snowpack is often expansively metamorphosed (faceted) and riddled with thin melt-freeze crusts. In places there, the snow is shallow, you sink down to the ground. In the furthermost southern regions there is very little snow on the ground.
Observed weather on Sunday, 23.01.2022
In southern regions during the nocturnal and the morning hours, cloud cover moved through. In the other regions of Switzerland it was sunny, following a night of clear skies.
Fresh snow
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Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, between +2 °C in the western regions and -3 °C in the eastern regions.
Wind
Winds were blowing from northerly directions:
  • during the nighttime hours on the northern Alpine Ridge and on the Main Alpine Ridge still at moderate to strong velocity in some places;
  • slackening off during the daytime hours, blowing mostly at light to moderate strength.
Weather forecast through Monday, 24.01.2022
Following a night of clear skies it will be sunny in the mountains during the daytime.
Fresh snow
-
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, between +3 °C in the western and the southern regions, and 0 °C in the eastern regions.
Wind
Winds will be light, blowing at moderate strength at high altitudes, from northeasterly directions.
Outlook through Wednesday, 26.01.2022
Following nights of clear skies it will be sunny on both days in the mountains. On Tuesday, winds will be blowing at light to moderate strength, at some places in the southern regions at strong velocity, and on Wednesday at moderate strength at high altitudes, from northwesterly directions.
Avalanche danger levels are expected to decrease further.