For those venturing off piste a considerable avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area
Edition: 22.2.2022, 17:00 / Next update: 23.2.2022, 18:00
Snowpack
Sometimes heavy snowfall and strong wind gave rise to extensive snow drift accumulations on Monday and Tuesday on the northern flank of the Alps and in Lower Valais in particular. In some places, these can still be released easily. Individual natural avalanches are possible, in particular on very steep sunny slopes. From southern Valais through northern Ticino to Grisons, weak layers exist in the old snowpack. Here, avalanches can be released in deep layers of the snowpack and reach a large size.
As a consequence of warming, gliding avalanches can occur in particular on the northern flank of the Alps at intermediate altitudes.
Observed weather on Tuesday, 22.02.2022
During the night, snow fell over a wide area in the north. The snowfall level was approximately 700 m. The snowfall ceased in the morning. It became increasingly sunny. On the southern flank of the Alps there was hardly any precipitation and it was sunny during the day.
Fresh snow
From Monday morning until Tuesday midday above 1000 m:
  • Northern Lower Valais, Glarus Alps: 40 to 60 cm
  • Other regions north of a line between the Rhone and Rhine excluding the Prealps, also southern Lower Valais, southern Goms, Silvretta, Lower Engadine, western Jura: 20 to 40 cm
  • Elsewhere: 10 to 20 cm over a wide area; only Sotto Ceneri, Val Bregaglia and Val Poschiavo remained dry
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m: between -5 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south
Wind
  • During the night: strong over a wide area, occasionally storm force, from the northwest
  • During the day: moderate to strong in Grisons and on the southern flank of the Alps, otherwise light to moderate from the northwest to north
Weather forecast through Wednesday, 23.02.2022
On Tuesday night a little precipitation will fall in the north and east. The snowfall level will be approximately 1200 m. Once the cloud disperses in the course of the morning, it will be quite sunny in the mountains.
Fresh snow
  • Central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps, northern Grisons, Lower Engadine: up to 5 cm
  • Elsewhere: mostly dry
Temperature
  • At midday at 2000 m: about 0 °C in the west, -4 °C in the east, and +2 °C in the south
  • In the late afternoon in the north: increasing to +4 °C
Wind
  • During the night at elevated altitudes, moderate to strong from the northwest to north
  • During the day, mostly light at first, before backing southwesterly and strengthening in the afternoon
Outlook through Friday, 25.02.2022
On Wednesday night, a moderate to strong southwesterly wind will develop on the northern flank of the Alps. Thursday in the mountains will be partly sunny with high-altitude cloud. On Thursday night and Friday, snow will fall at times in the north. The snowfall level will drop to low altitudes. The southern flank of the Alps will remain dry.
On Wednesday night, the southwesterly wind will give rise to snow drift accumulations that are prone to triggering. On the northern flank of the Alps the avalanche danger will increase a little. Otherwise, the avalanche danger will change very little.