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When i was reading an entry about 暗峠 the writer mentioned an expression using
峠 which is「今夜が峠です」, they said that when a close person is seriously ill and
are on their deathbed this expression is often used.

> 親しい人が重病で、生死の境目にある時、我々は比喩的に“今夜が峠だな。”とよく言います。

So what does it mean exactly?

Is it something like they are expressing how difficult a situation it is since
峠 has the meaning of difficult part or does it have the subtle meaning of
wishing the ill person survives and expressing their sadness?

Are there any similar expressions in English?
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expressions
what does「今夜が峠です」mean?
峠 is the highest point of a mountain path.

It figuratively means the most difficult/hard point to overcome. So 今夜が峠だ
means one is the closest to death tonight.

I don't think it has a nuance of familiarness or sadness; it just describes
such a quite serious situation.

Another common phrase involving 峠 is 峠を越えた, which means one has survived and
is getting better.
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“今夜が峠だな。” -- I think emotion (closeness) is part of this expression. If two
doctors are talking about a patient, they may not use such an expression
(euphemism). Their conversation may be strictly in medical and technical
terms.

> Are there any similar expressions in English?

峠を越えた <http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/over%20the%20hump> (turned the corner)

  * over the hump

  * out of the woods ! 

  * on the comeback trail

  * on the mend

  * on the road to recovery

峠 <http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/crisis> -- (the hump?), dire straits,
turning point, moment of truth, ... ((the proverbial) Cape Horn?)

What have i missed ?
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According to the dictionary:

> とうげ【峠】: 物事の勢いの最も盛んな時。絶頂。  
>  Climax, crisis, peak, the most difficult part  
>  example: 病気は今夜が峠だ  
>  <http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/155532/meaning/m0u/%E5%B3%A0/>  
>  <http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/je/52947/meaning/m0u/%E5%B3%A0/>

So it should be that "they are expressing how difficult a situation is".

In English I would say something like "this is the moment of truth".
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