meteo-ch.ch

Passes and summits in Valais

The 17 passes and summits in Valais tracked by meteo-ch.ch — 7 road passes and 10 summits — from 1 527 to 3 883 m. Every forecast is computed at the point's real altitude, not the valley's: that is the difference between “12 °C” and “2 °C and windy”.

Pass or summitTypeAltitudeSeason
Klein Matterhorn (Matterhorn Glacier Paradise)Summit3 883 mtoute l'année
MittelallalinSummit3 500 mtoute l'année
JungfraujochSummit3 454 mtoute l'année
Mont-FortSummit3 329 mhiver + été
GornergratSummit3 089 mtoute l'année
Glacier 3000 (Scex Rouge)Summit2 971 mtoute l'année
EggishornSummit2 927 mtoute l'année
BettmerhornSummit2 872 mtoute l'année
Nufenen PassRoad pass2 478 mjuin–octobre
Great St Bernard PassRoad pass2 469 mjuin–octobre (tunnel toute l'année)
Furka PassRoad pass2 429 mjuin–octobre
Rhone GlacierSummit2 300 mjuin–octobre
Aletsch GlacierSummit2 300 mtoute l'année
Gemmi PassRoad pass2 270 mtoute l'année (téléphérique)
Grimsel PassRoad pass2 164 mjuin–octobre
Simplon PassRoad pass2 005 mtoute l'année
Col de la ForclazRoad pass1 527 mtoute l'année

Opening seasons

The periods shown are those usually passable. They do not replace the day’s opening status, which depends on the latest snowfall — check with the cantonal road authorities before setting off.

Why exact altitude changes everything

Between the lowest point on this list (1 527 m) and the highest (3 883 m) lie 2 356 metres — about 15.3 °C of temperature difference in a standard atmosphere, and considerably more under a winter inversion.

A municipal forecast says nothing about a pass: the municipality's centroid is down in the valley, sometimes a thousand metres lower. That is why these points are queried at their own altitude.

See also

Do these pages say whether the pass is open?

No, and that is deliberate: meteo-ch.ch has no official source for opening status. The “season” column gives the usual period; the day's opening must be checked with the cantonal road authorities.

At what altitude is the forecast computed?

At the point's own — 3 883 m for the highest on this list. That is what separates these pages from a municipal forecast, computed at the centroid, often in the valley.