File-breaking quantities of snow in Switzerland. | Symbol: Electroverse
A brand new Swiss blizzard checklist has been set on the Bortelsee station within the Simplon area of Switzerland, the place 89 inches (226 centimeters) of snow fell inside simply two days, and 97 inches (247 centimeters) amassed over 3 days. This unparalleled tournament, recorded from April 15 to 17, 2025, now stands as the biggest quantity of snow ever measured in brief timeframes in Switzerland, surpassing the former data of 85 inches (215 centimeters) in two days on the Bernina Go in April 1999 and 90 inches (229 centimeters) in 3 days at Weissfluhjoch in February 1990.
The blizzard was once essentially pushed through the “Hans” despair, a low-pressure gadget that evolved over the Gulf of Genoa. Named through Italian meteorological products and services, Hans channeled a robust southeasterly waft from the Mediterranean, wearing heat, moisture-laden air into the southern Alps. As this air mass encountered the mountainous terrain, it was once compelled upward, leading to intense orographic precipitation at the southern slopes, in particular within the Simplon area. The interplay between this wet air and chillier air lots at upper elevations resulted in vital blizzard, culminating within the record-breaking accumulations noticed at Bortelsee.
Blizzard accumulation on the Bortelsee station. | Symbol: White Chance
The affect of this climate gadget prolonged past blizzard data. Heavy snow compelled the closure of a number of main ski hotels, together with Zermatt in Switzerland and Val d’Isere in France, because of heightened avalanche risk. Rail and highway get admission to to those hotels was once briefly bring to an end, and gear outages affected portions of higher Valais. Government issued avalanche warnings and climate indicators as the chance of avalanches, floods, and landslides greater around the Alps.
Switzerland.
