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Weather alert: Heavy snow forecast to hit in Switzerland

Much of Switzerland will experience significant snowfall, which could trigger avalanches in the mountains, forecasters say.

Published: 12 January 2021 09:37 CET
Weather alert: Heavy snow forecast to hit in Switzerland
Heavy snow is expected in Switzerland this week. Photo by AFP

On Tuesday January 12th, up to 15 centimetres of fresh snow is expected to fall on parts of the country, the federal meteorological service MeteoSwiss said.

 

The service is issuing a Level 3 weather alert for the Western Jura, the Swiss-Romand Plateau, and the Vaud Prealps.

The hazard categories are numbered 1 to 5, with 5 being the most severe one.

Then, between Tuesday noon and Thursday evening, humid polar air, accompanied by strong winds, is expected to dump 80 to 110 centimetres of snow on the northern slope of the Alps and in Valais above 1,000 metres.

The heavy snowfall could “significantly increase” the risk of avalanches in all regions of Switzerland, according to Swiss Avalanche Bulletin. 

The snow follows closely what MeteoSwiss qualified as the coldest weather of the current winter season so far — on January 9th, the temperature  dropped to -30.7 degrees in Glattalp in canton Schwyz.
 

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What are the Covid-19 rules for skiing in Switzerland this winter? 

 

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TRAVEL NEWS

LATEST: More Swiss roads closed due to landslides and flooding

The severe storms that hit the cantons of Valais and Ticino over the weekend have resulted in significant travel disruptions for motorists. 

Published: 2 July 2024 09:44 CEST
LATEST: More Swiss roads closed due to landslides and flooding

The weekend’s floods and landslides resulted in key roads becoming impassable, with some expected to be closed to traffic for several weeks. 

The Federal Roads Office announced on Monday that the following mountain passes are currently inaccessible due to landslides in the affected cantons:

The Nufenen Pass is expected to remain closed until the end of the week (5/7). 

READ MORE: The alternative routes from Switzerland to Italy

The Simplon Pass is closed until further notice.

Outside of Ticino and Valais, the San Bernardino Pass is currently closed due to ongoing roadworks.

These pass closures are in addition to those roads closed in the aftermath of flooding and landslides that hit the country’s southwest at the end of June, making southbound traffic difficult for the time being.

The status of all mountain passes can be checked before travelling at Alpen-pässe, and SRF maintains a constantly updated traffic portal listing road closures and showing traffic jams in real-time.

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