There’s a lot going on in the Swiss weather this week. A westerly wind situation ensures stormy winds, lots of rain and a large portion of fresh snow in the mountains. Above all, the rain forecast comes in handy for many, February was extremely dry. Will the precipitation over the next few days calm things down a bit? How about snowfall in the mountains? SRF meteorologist Luzian Schmassmann provides information.
SRF News: How much precipitation can be expected?
Luzian Schmassmann: There are different phases: The rain will start during the course of Tuesday evening, but the amounts are still limited. On Wednesday and Thursday there is the next phase with precipitation, but here too the amounts are modest. We expect the main precipitation from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. In certain areas of Switzerland it will rain heavily. There will be most precipitation in the western mountains, i.e. from the Lower Valais to the Bernese Oberland. Here we expect 80-150 millimeters of precipitation until Sunday. In the Jura and the foothills of the Alps we are at about 50 to 80 millimeters of precipitation, in the lowlands between 20 and 60 millimeters. We expect the least precipitation on the southern side of the Alps. Overall, it can be said that more than half of the average March precipitation falls during the course of the week.
Can the precipitation cause flooding?
There is no need to worry about larger bodies of water; i.e. Rhine, Reuss, Aare, etc. In the case of smaller and medium-sized bodies of water, however, the levels can rise sharply. It is currently difficult to predict whether there will be local flooding. However, these forecasts certainly cannot rule it out.
With regard to the threat of drought this spring/summer, the forecast amounts of snow above 2000 meters are good news.
Many ski areas are longingly waiting for snow. What about the snow line?
The snow line is around 1500 meters from Wednesday to Friday. On Saturday the limit even rises to over 2000 meters and more. The ski areas at higher altitudes can look forward to a good amount of fresh snow, for example over a meter of fresh snow in the Valais mountains. However, the wind can cause large snow drifts, which also increases the risk of avalanches in the mountains.
Is the announced rain just a drop in the ocean?
I would say that one can speak of more than a drop in the bucket, at least when looking at the north side of the Alps. If the forecasts are confirmed, it looks like there will be a significant relaxation in the current drought. With regard to the threat of drought this spring/summer, the forecast amounts of snow above 2000 meters are good news. Things are different on the southern side of the Alps. Here the announced precipitation, especially in southern and central Ticino, will be the famous drop in the bucket.
The interview was conducted by Nico Schwab.