Considerable avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area
Edition: 11.2.2022, 17:00 / Next update: 12.2.2022, 18:00
Snowpack
The freshly generated snowdrift accumulations from Friday are still prone to triggering in some places.
Furthermore, deeply embedded inside the snowpack there are weak layers evident. In the central and eastern sectors of the northern flank of the Alps, these layers are deeply covered with fresher layers of snow in general and for that reason only in isolated cases prone to triggering. From the southern Valais over the northern Ticino as far as Grisons, the weak layers inside the old snowpack are particularly pronounced and the blanketing is less deep. In those places, particularly on shady slopes, avalanches can be triggered in these layers of the old snowpack by winter sports enthusiasts. In places where the snow is shallow and in transition zones from shallow to deep snow, avalanche prone locations are more frequent.
Observed weather on Friday, 11.02.2022
Following a night of partially clear skies there was snowfall registered in the northern regions during the morning hours. The snowfall level descended from 1300 m down to low lying areas. During the afternoon it became increasingly sunny.
Fresh snow
Between Friday morning and Friday afternoon:
  • western part of the Jura region, northern flank of the Alps, northern Lower Valais: 10 to 20 cm;
  • in the remaining regions of Switzerland, only a few centimetres; in the furthermost southern regions it remained dry.
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, -6 °C in the northern regions and -3 °C in the southern regions.
Wind
Winds were blowing at moderate strength, at strong velocity from place to place:
  • during the nocturnal hours from westerly directions;
  • during the daytime hours shifting to northwesterly.
Weather forecast through Saturday, 12.02.2022
Following a night of clear skies it will be predominantly sunny during the daytime in spite of some high-altitude cloudbanks.
Fresh snow
-
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, -2 °C in the northern regions and -6 °C in the southern regions.
Wind
  • Winds will be blowing predominantly at light to moderate strength from varying directions;
  • moderate-strength westerly winds will be blowing during the afternoon in the Prealps and the Jura region.
Outlook through Monday, 14.02.2022
Sunday
On Sunday it will be predominantly sunny, in spite of some high-altitude cloudbanks. Winds will be blowing from the southwest at increasingly strong velocity during the afternoon. The avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly.
Monday
Following a night of partially clear skies, a small amount of snowfall is expected in the western and the southern regions more than anywhere else during the daytime. The snowfall level will lie at approximately 1200 m. In the other regions of Switzerland, skies will be generally overcast. Winds will be blowing at strong velocity from southwesterly directions; in the Alpine valleys of the north, a strong-velocity foehn wind will be blowing.
Avalanche danger levels are expected to increase somewhat as a result of a small amount of fresh snow and some wind.