Earlier this week it felt like spring in Switzerland. However, by Wednesday it had turned very wintery in parts of the country and snow continued to fall throughout Thursday, particularly in the Alps.
More than 80 centimetres fell in Switzerland’s central Alpine region, an area including the Simplon pass and centered on the Alpine resort Andermatt. A map by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF shows the snow that has fallen over the last 3 days.
SLF has issued a level 4 (high) avalanche risk warning for this region, shown here on a map. Level 4, which is one level below the maximum, is described as a very critical avalanche situation. Natural and often very large avalanches are likely. Avalanches can easily be triggered on many steep slopes. Remote triggering is typical. Whumpf sounds and shooting cracks occur frequently.
The cold snap will be short. Temperatures were 7 degrees in Geneva on Friday and are expected to rise to 13 over the weekend, according to Swiss Meteo.
More on this:
SLF snow map (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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