Snow Overviews

France

Updated 24/03

What must be the first Nordstau event of the year hits the Alps over the course of this week, bringing a return to winter conditions across much of the Northern French Alps. The freezing line will decline through the middle of this week, dropping close to sea level overnight Thursday into Friday.

At the same time, northerly unsettled conditions working their way in across Central and Eastern Europe brings snowfall to many areas north of the Briancon-Gap line. Over higher ground this could see as much as a foot-and-a-half through Wednesday evening and into Thursday; as the freezing line declines over this period, snow will work its way down to lower elevations, but the best conditions will remain above 2,000m.

A brief pause in the snowfall over Saturday still sees cloudy conditions dominating; a few more flurries move in over higher ground on Sunday, as the freezing line recovers to around 2,000m. The long term forecast then calls for sun and fine, dry and bright conditions to dominate as high pressure returns to the area.

Switzerland

Updated 24/03

the first Nordstau of the season (in late March, would you believe it) is set to bring excellent conditions across particularly eastern reaches of the country through the middle of this week. Unsettled conditions moving in from the north plummet temperatures, with the freezing line taking a long walk off a short pier through this period; dropping from a daytime high above 2,000m on Wednesday to sea level overnight into Friday.

With this unsettled weather will come excellent snowfall; the west will see useful top ups of around 20cm falling on Wednesday afternoon and throughout Thursday, whereas the east will see bumper conditions with up to 2ft expected down at the same time. This will peak on Thursday, when c.50cm is expected down over higher ground.

Expect the avalanche forecast to climb over this period, as this new snow may well be sitting on a spring freeze-thaw crust and/or a very wet snowpack thanks to spring melt.

Things will return to a more spring-like norm as the weekend arrives, with spring freeze-thaw cycles in play and plenty of sun; a few lingering clouds will bring snowfall on Sunday and into the new week, but it remains a bit too far out to say exactly how much will fall, when, and where.

Austria

Updated 24/03

After a pretty desperate season, bumper conditions finally – finally – arrive for Austria, as it experiences its first Nortstau event of the season through the middle of this week.

Unsettled conditions drifting in from the north will bring with it cold temperatures as the freezing line takes a long walk off a short pier; from a daytime high of 2,400m on Wednesday it will plummet to sea level by Friday morning.

These unsettled conditions will of course mean snow, with good snowfall hitting the Austrian Alps on Wednesday afternoon and continuing steadily until Friday morning;  this will see around 45cm fall, particularly focused across higher ground as the freezing line works its way down the elevation chart steadily over this period. Around 25cm will fall on Thursday alone.

Expect the avalanche risk to increase over this period as this new snowfall sits on either wet ground, wet snow, or a spring freeze-thaw crust; plan your backcountry routes carefully, and check your local avalanche forecast before heading out.

Sun returns with gusto on Saturday, before the last few flurries of cloud and snow move in over Sunday and the new week.

Italy

Updated 24/03

Italy will barely benefit from the Nordstau conditions dominating through the middle of this week across the rest of the Alps, sitting as it does on the wrong side (for perhaps the first time this season) of the Main Alpine Ridge. It will not be without cold and snow, however, as the same cold conditions do make it over the Alps; in msot palces the freezing line drops from above 2,000m early this week to seas level by close of play on Thursday.

A few flurries will make it through; the best of this will be on higher ground closer to the ridge, with around 20cm expected down at Cervinia over the course of Wednesday and Thursday. This will be reduced to a few flurries in the Via Lattea or over the Dolomites.

A brief burst of sunshine follows for many areas, before the last few tails of cloud bring with them some more snow into the new week; it remains too early to tell exactly when and where this will fall, and how much, but the southwest seems to be getting the best of it.

Germany

Updated 24/03

Germany will benefit from the Nordstau event hitting the northern Alps this week, with good snowfall and dropping temperatures.

The freezing line will plummet from a daytime high above 2,000m on Wednesday to hit sea level on Friday morning. Driven by unsettled conditions moving in from the North, this will bring with it cloud and snowfall, with around 20cm expected down over Wednesday, Thursday and into Friday, benefiting principally upper slopes but falling across most elevations as the freezing line drops.

A burst of sunshine signals a brief return to spring freeze-thaw cycles, before the last tails of cloud bring with it a last flurry of snowfall to close out the weekend.

Spain & Andorra

Updated 24/03

Spring has sprung in the Pyrenees, with mild conditions dominating as the freezing line sits comfortably above 3,000m.

This will change over the course of the week, however, as the last tails of cold and unsettled conditions blow over from the Alps. Temperatures work downwards towards the end of this week, with the freezing line ducking below 1,000m on the weekend.

These unsettled conditions will bring with it snowfall into the weekend, with around 25cm expected down – beginning Saturday night and continue through Sunday.

Links – Spain

Links – Andorra

Eastern Europe

Updated 24/03

Mild conditions across eastern Europe and the Balkans give way to colder and more unsettled weather as the week continued.

Cold weather will move across the region thanks to a Nordstau event in the Alps, helping drive down the freezing line close to 1,000m across the region. Snow will fall in many areas, totalling around 15cm in the Balkans into the weekend, and ashort sharp burst of 10cm in the North.

Useful Links – Bulgaria

Useful Links – Other Eastern Europe

Scotland

Updated 24/03

The Best Coast will continue to be the place to ski in the Scottish Highlands through this week and into the weekend, with cooler temperatures and good snowfall especially as the weekend approached. This will be interspersed with spikes in temperature throughout, so expect bursts of rain at times to keep visitors on their toes for one last Scottish ski of the season …

Scandinavia

Updated 24/03

Generally cold but dry conditions will be in place across the south for the region through this week and into the weekend, with a few bursts of snowfall at times; this will be best felt in the central highlands, with around 10cm expected down over Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday.

Further north, things will turn mild and far more settled than in recent weeks, especially along the Atlantic wall. There temperatures will hover either side of freezing at mid-mountain level, with a few useful fresheners drifting in to keep things up to scratch into the weekend.

Useful Links

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Japan

Updated 24/03

In the words of Jim Morrsion, “this is the end”.

Mild weather dominates across the Home Islands this week and into the weekend. Unsettled weather will move in across Honshu, too, with plenty of precipitation falling as rain rather than silly soft stuff. This will have a dramatic affect on the snowpack in the region.

Further north, things remain a little more settled, with less cloud and less rain involved across Hokkaido.

USA

Updated 24/03

The Left Coast’s bitterly disappointing season begins to sputter to its conclusion, as further mild conditions across most of the trans-Mississippi through this week and into the weekend. Many headline resorts have already announce their early closure before the end of the month, with barren slopes and shocking conditions the norm for the region.

A short snap of cold temperatures across the PNW and Tetons – as well as Montana and Idaho – may bring a short flurry to some areas.

Further east, things remain mostly cold for the region. Bitterly cold temperatures will be in play to start the weekend, but before that a short sharp burst of mild weather – timed to coincide with a burst of rainfall – does little to help the spring snowpack.

Canada

Updated 24/03

The Coastals get hit with a mega period of cold and snowy weather through the course of this week, with this forecast period bookended by around 30cm over Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by another 20m on the weekend. Things will remain cold throughout, with the freezing line staying around or below 1,000m throughout – enough to boost upper slopes.

BC Interior will remain settled throughout this period, with temperatures floating around freezing at mid-mountain level. A brief flurry of snowfall will see in this forecast period, but barely enough to measure on the snowstake.

Over the Rockies, freezing weather over the Plains brings with it plummeting temperatures, with the freezing line hitting sea level through the middle of this week. Good snowfall will accompany this, bringing around 20cm down.

Finally, the St Lawrence has a mixed week, with temperatures floating around up to freezing and dropping to -13°C at times. A few flurries of snow will fall at times throughout the week, too.