Bern
Holidaymakers in Switzerland should plan their tours very carefully in the near future. Fresh snow has significantly increased the avalanche danger. Further snowfall is also expected.
After weeks of lack of snow and unusually mild temperatures, up to 50 centimeters of fresh snow has fallen in the western Alps within 24 hours since Sunday (8 December). According to MeteoSwiss, it should continue to snow in the next few days.
The snow initially fell mainly above 1400 to 1600 meters. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Davos warned of the danger of avalanches. The snow cover under the fresh snow is extraordinarily thin, below 2200 to 2400 meters it has partly melted crusts due to the previous heat and rain and is angular.
In higher areas could avalanches break within the weak old snow and carry away the entire snow cover, the institute announced. It assessed the avalanche danger in certain regions on Monday as “considerable”. This is danger level 3 of 5.
