Fresh fallen snow and, to some extent, also old snow is being intensively transported over widespread areas by storm-strength
westerly winds. Prior to the current snowfall the snowpack surface was massively marked by sun impact over widespread areas.
Thus, bonding to the layers of fresh snow and fresh snowdrift accumulations is generally favourable. On the other hand, on
north-facing slopes at high altitudes the snowpack surface was often expansively metamorphosed (faceted) and formed a weak
snowpack base in those places.
As a result of rainfall up to 2000 m, wet-snow and gliding avalanches can be expected. This will be the case particularly
on north-facing slopes. In the inneralpine regions of Grisons and in some parts of the Valais the snowpack structuring on
north-facing slopes continues to be weak; nevertheless, hardly any avalanches have been registered triggering from these deeply
embedded layers for a longer period of time.