The first flakes fell down to the plains on Thursday in French-speaking Switzerland and MétéoSuisse issued an alert for heavy snowfall in places, particularly in the Jura. However, a mild spell is expected this weekend.
According to MétéoSwiss, snowfall should further increase in places, falling to low altitudes especially in Valais and in the north of the Jura Arc, where quantities of ten to twenty centimeters of snow have been announced. Between thirty and forty centimeters of powder will even fall in Ajoie, where a level 4 alert has been issued.
In the plains, around 10 centimeters are expected and up to 20 to 40 centimeters above 1800 meters.
“The quantities which are expected in the north of the Jura are relatively rare at this period”, explains in the 12:30 p.m. Mikhaël Schwander, meteorologist at MétéoSuisse. “Especially this early in the winter, it’s not common,” he adds.
A warm spell from the weekend
Snowfall is expected to continue on Friday, with another 5 to 15 centimeters above 800 meters. In the plains, the weather will be changeable with also a little snow, then possible rain.
A mild spell is then expected from Sunday. “A southwesterly wind current will establish itself in Switzerland and lead to a rise in temperatures,” adds Mikhaël Schwander. For example, in Fahy (JU), it could be up to 17 degrees on Monday, while we expect more than twenty centimeters this Thursday.
This snow episode is certainly early, but the days of fresh snow and the cumulative height over the entire winter have been decreasing significantly in the plains for decades, recalls the meteorologist.
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