Update, 15 January weather forecast for the week, for skiers:
Dawn in Zermatt 12 January (photo ©2012 William Olenick)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – If you’re able to ski during the week, concentrate on getting up to the slopes at the start of this week, with temperatures hovering around zero, some cloudiness mornings but clear skies and sunshine in the afternoons.
By late Wednesday some rain is likely in warmer areas, with intermittent light snow in the mountains and the snow line at 1,000 metres, highs of 4C.
Thursday: expect winds to pick up, rain and snow with the snow line moving up to 1,500 metres before falling to 600 metres on Friday, with the high Friday around 1C and gusting winds.
Jura skiing, 13 January, a half-hour from Geneva
The huge piles of snow dumped on Switzerland and neighbouring France are turning ski resorts into winter wonderlands and there is an amazing mix of things to do.
Our Jura correspondent, Shirley Curran, was skiing on the mountains you pass over as you fly into Geneva, Friday afternoon, and she says the weather was good (just a few clouds), the snow fantastic, and too few people in Geneva seem to realize that fast chairs, excellent snow and very good slopes are just 20-30 minutes from home.
Weather forecast should send you to the hills
Temperatures hovering around 0C with some cloudiness in the mornings in the mountains and on the plains, sun in the afternoon Saturday and Sunday in the Alps. Gusting winds are a possibility in the Jura.
For those interested in Swiss mountain life, two bits of news are worth checking out.
Avalanche update
Swiss law requires drivers to have clean windshields and the snow brushed off the car
Update 10:55 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - There has been so little snow this winter it is easy for drivers to forget to check their routes, but snow has returned, Thursday morning 24 February, with the snow line on the lakefront in the Lake Geneva region.
TSR’s road information (Fre, map) and the federal truck road alerts (Eng, map) provide current state of traffic information. The Lausanne-Pontarlier area has slowdowns due to snow, and traffic is restricted in several mountain areas.
There is icy snow at 700 metres.
Reminder: you are legally required to have snow tires in Switzerland when travelling under snowy conditions and if you’re taking a mountain pass you should have chains in the car.
Switzerland winter holidays traffic jam areas, times
Jura in its winter glory
Jura snow! see additional photos with Jura report, below
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The main news this weekend: expect snow! That sounds good, but it promises to come with something less welcome, the potential for major traffic problems. The Swiss federal government has issued its annual end-January winter holidays traffic predictions, so be prepared. Peak times are Saturdays 08:00-15:00 heading south and Saturdays 10:00-16:00 plus Sundays 15:00-20:00 heading north.
Expect heavy traffic and slowdowns in these areas
Heading south
- A1 Sankt Margrethen – Genève: between Zurich and Berne
- A2 Basel – Chiasso: customs, Bâle/Weil am Rhein, between the Belchen tunnel and the interchange at Haerkingen, north entrance to the St Gothard tunnel
- A3 Basel – Zurich: customs, Basel/Saint-Louis interchange, la Wiese
- A6/A8 Berne – Interlaken: Thoune-Interlaken
- A9 Lausanne – Sion: Lausanne-Vevey
- A13 Sargans – Bellinzone: Sarganserland-Landquart, between Chur/Coire-Sud and Reichenau, north entrance to San Bernardino tunnel
- contournements/ bypasses around Bern (A1/A6), Lausanne (A1/A9) and Zurich (A1/A3)
Heading north
- A1 Genève – Sankt Margrethen: Berne-Zurich
- A2 Chiasso – Basel: south entrance to Saint-Gotthard tunnel between Reiden and Wiggertal ramp, customs at Basel/Weil am Rhein
- A3 Sargans – Basel: à la douane de Bâle/Saint-Louis
- A8/A6 Interlaken – Thoune: Interlaken-Spiez
- A8 Sarnen – Hergiswil: Alpnachstad-Lopper ramp
- A9 Martigny – Lausanne: between Bex and Glion tunnel
- A13 Bellinzone – Sargans: south entrance to San Bernardino tunnel, between Rothenbrunnen and Reichenau, between Zizers and Sarganserland ramp
- contournements/bypasses for Bern (A1/A6), Lausanne (A1/A9) and Zurich (A3/A1).
Jura report, from Shirley Curran
All week, as usual, we have skied above the clouds that enshroud the Geneva basin. Conditions in the Jura are spectacular. The hard packed base has had sprinklings of new snow and the weather has been glacial with wonderful views of trees all clothed in white. Colder, snowy weather is now predicted for a few days – that is good news for us!
Ed. note: GenevaLunch will be adding a report from the Alps during the weekend, including coverage from the Chateau d’Oex Balloon Festival.
Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The summer travel season begins in earnest 30 June and the Swiss federal government has issued its list of roads and dates when travelers can expect heavy traffic.
Les axes routiers et les jours présentant un fort risque de perturbations sont les suivants :
Autoroutes
Heading south
- A1 St Margrethen – Geneva, between Zurich and Bern, between Lausanne and Morges (roadworks), customs at Geneva/Bardonnex
- A2/E35 Basel – Chiasso – Milan: Bâle/Weil am Rhein customs, between the Belchen tunnel and the Wiggertal junction, between Erstfeld before the north end of the Saint Gotthard (see Gotthard below), the Chiasso/Brogeda customs, to the Como/Grandate toll booth
- A3 Basel – Zurich: between Basel/Saint-Louis customs and the Wiese junction
- A13 Sargans – Bellinzona: between entre Nufenen and Hinterrhein (roadworks), to the north entrance of the San Bernardino tunnel
- Ring roads around Bern (A1/A6), Lausanne (A1/A9) and Zurich (A1/A3)
Times when you can expect traffic jams
Fridays between 15:00 and 21:00 and Saturday from 08:00 to 16:00
Dates with particularly heavy traffic
July: 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25
August: 1
Heading north
- A1 Geneva – St. Margrethen: Geneva/Bardonnex customs, betwee entre Morges and Lausanne (roadworks), between Bern and Zurich
- A2/E35 Milan – Chiasso – Basel: from the Como/Grandate toll booth to the Chiasso/Brogeda customs, between Quinto and the south entrance to the Saint-Gothard tunnel, between Reiden and the Härkingen junction, to customs at Basel/Weil am Rhein
- A3 Sargans – Zurich – Basel: between Zurich/Brunau and the end of the autoroute, Basel/Saint-Louis customs
- A4a Zoug – Sihlbrugg: between Baar and the end of the autoroute at Sihlbrugg
- A9 Martigny – Lausanne: between Bex and the Glion tunnel
- A13 Bellinzone – Coire: at the southern entrance to the San Bernardino tunnel, between Hinterrhein and Nufenen (roadworks)
- Ring roads around Bern (A1/A6), Lausanne (A1/A9) and Zurich (A1/A3)
Times when you can expect traffic jams
Fridays 15:00-21:00, Saturdays 10:00-20:00 and Sundays from 13:00 to 20:00
Dates with particularly heavy traffic
July: 11, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 and 31
August: 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29
September: 5
Saint Gotthard tunnel
Heading south
Tailbacks are likely at the north end of the tunnel on these dates: Friday 3 July from 12:00-24:00, Saturday 4 July 05:00-18:00. The nights of 10-11 and 17-18 and 24-25 July, non-stop from Friday 12:00 to Saturday 18:00. Traffic jams are also possible Saturdays from 08:00-16:00 during August and up to mid-eptember, as well as Sundays in July from 10:00-16:00.
The entrances to the Göschenen, Monday to Thursday during July, noon to 20:00 are also likely to have traffic jams.
Heading north
Traffic jams can be expected at the south entrance to the tunnel these days: Fridays, 10-31 July from 12:00-22:00, 7-14 August from 10:00-23:00, 21 August to 4 September from 13:00-20:00, Saturdays 11-25 July from 10:00-22:00, 1 August and 8 August from 09:00-01:00, 15 August to 5 September, 10:00-21:00, Sundays, 19 July to 6 September, 11:00-21:00.
Traffic jams could occur Saturday 4 July, 10:00-18:00. From mid-July to the end of August, traffic jams can also be expected occasionally afternoons Monday to Thursday, noon to 20:00.
Main roads inside Switzerland and customs stations
Heavier traffic can be expected on the following roads within Switzerland: Spiez-Kandersteg (start of holidays), Gampel-Goppenstein (end of holidays), Bellinzona-Locarno, Wädenswil-Hirzel-Sihlbrugg, Sihlbrugg-Zurich (Sihltal), Flüelen-Brunnen (Axenstrasse), as well as on some Alpine region roads, including main Alpines passes. Expect some delays at these customs stations: Au, Koblenz, Sankt-Margrethen and Thayngen.
For traffic updates
• Telephone in French, German and Italian: Viasuisse (No 163 – 50 cts/call+50 cts/min)
• Radio DRS/RSR/RSI
• web sites: www.tcs.ch, www.cff.ch, www.teletext.ch (rail: p 486/487, road: p 491 – 497), www.bls.ch.
