Mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland
Piz Corvatsch ([ˌpitskorˈvatʃ]ⓘ) is a mountain in the Bernina Range of the Alps, overlooking Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana in the Engadin region of the canton of Graubünden. With an elevation of 3,451 m (11,322 ft), it is the highest point on the range separating the main Inn valley from the Val Roseg. Aside from Piz Corvatsch, two other slightly lower summits make up the Corvatsch massif: Piz Murtèl (3,433 m (11,263 ft); north of Piz Corvatsch) and the unnamed summit where lies the Corvatsch upper cable car station (3,303 m (10,837 ft); north of Piz Murtèl). Politically, the summit of Piz Corvatsch is shared between the municipalities of Sils im Engadin/Segl and Samedan, although the 3,303 m high summit lies between the municipalities of Silvaplana and Samedan. The tripoint between the aforementioned municipalities is the summit of Piz Murtèl.
Several glaciers lie on the east side on the massif. The largest, below Piz Corvatsch, is named Vadret dal Murtèl. The second largest, below Piz Murtèl and the station, is named Vadret dal Corvatsch.
The Corvatsch cable car starts above the village of Surlej, east of Silvaplana and culminates at 3,298 m. From there, the summit of Piz Corvatsch can be reached by traversing Piz Murtèl. In winter and spring, the mountain is part of a ski area, which is amongst the highest in Switzerland and the Eastern Alps.
View from the observation deck of the Corvatsch station. On the right is Piz Murtèl and on the middle-left is
Piz Bernina, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps. The summit of Piz Corvatsch lies behind Piz Murtèl.
Climate
Piz Corvatsch has an alpine tundra climate (ET) with long, cold winters lasting most of the year and a brief period during summer where the average daily highs rise above freezing.
| Climate data for Piz Corvatsch, elevation 3,294 m (10,807 ft), (1991–2020)
|
| Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
−8.5
(16.7)
|
−9.2
(15.4)
|
−7.7
(18.1)
|
−5.3
(22.5)
|
−1.3
(29.7)
|
2.6
(36.7)
|
5.3
(41.5)
|
5.4
(41.7)
|
1.6
(34.9)
|
−1.1
(30.0)
|
−5.3
(22.5)
|
−7.7
(18.1)
|
−2.6
(27.3)
|
| Daily mean °C (°F)
|
−11.0
(12.2)
|
−11.8
(10.8)
|
−10.1
(13.8)
|
−7.6
(18.3)
|
−3.5
(25.7)
|
0.4
(32.7)
|
2.6
(36.7)
|
2.9
(37.2)
|
−0.6
(30.9)
|
−3.2
(26.2)
|
−7.5
(18.5)
|
−10.2
(13.6)
|
−5.0
(23.1)
|
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
−13.5
(7.7)
|
−14.4
(6.1)
|
−12.6
(9.3)
|
−10.0
(14.0)
|
−5.7
(21.7)
|
−1.9
(28.6)
|
0.2
(32.4)
|
0.6
(33.1)
|
−2.7
(27.1)
|
−5.4
(22.3)
|
−9.8
(14.4)
|
−12.7
(9.1)
|
−7.3
(18.8)
|
| Average precipitation mm (inches)
|
77.5
(3.05)
|
68.6
(2.70)
|
75.7
(2.98)
|
106.3
(4.19)
|
131.8
(5.19)
|
144.1
(5.67)
|
134.7
(5.30)
|
134.6
(5.30)
|
99.8
(3.93)
|
120.8
(4.76)
|
135.3
(5.33)
|
87.9
(3.46)
|
1,317.1
(51.85)
|
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)
|
9.0
|
8.3
|
10.0
|
11.6
|
14.1
|
14.1
|
13.1
|
13.0
|
10.1
|
10.3
|
11.2
|
9.9
|
134.7
|
| Average relative humidity (%)
|
62
|
64
|
71
|
77
|
80
|
80
|
77
|
77
|
75
|
68
|
68
|
66
|
72
|
| Mean monthly sunshine hours
|
140.7
|
149.6
|
185.8
|
173.5
|
172.8
|
179.3
|
200.0
|
185.4
|
166.7
|
165.1
|
124.7
|
117.2
|
1,960.8
|
| Percent possible sunshine
|
56
|
56
|
53
|
45
|
39
|
40
|
44
|
45
|
47
|
53
|
50
|
49
|
47
|
| Source 1: NOAA[4]
|
| Source 2: MeteoSwiss (humidity 1981-2010)[5][6]
|
See also
References
- Collomb, Robin, Bernina Alps, Goring: West Col Productions, 1988
External links
Media related to Piz Corvatsch at Wikimedia Commons
