Snow Overviews

France

Updated 03/02

This week begins snowy for many areas in France with around 15cm coming down on Tuesday, before high pressure brings fine, dry and bright conditions on Wednesday – potentially creating an epic skiing day! Temperatures will remain cool, with the freezing line dropping through 1,500m to 500m overnight.

Snow returns on Thursday, with a big dump coming overnight into Friday – up to a foot could fall over higher ground at this time with around 50cm in total, snowfall continuing into Friday. Temperatures will warm slightly, with the freezing line hitting 2,000m confining this snow to higher ground; it does decline gradually, dropping off a cliff back to sea level on Friday night.

Cloudy, cold, and unsettled conditions will continue through the weekend, with the freezing line holding steady at 1,500m and flurries throughout this period.

Switzerland

Updated 03/02

Temperatures remain cool throughout the Swiss Alps, but in line with the rest of the Alps this side of the Alpine Ridge will remain mostly dry. A few brief flurries of snow will give way to fine, dry and bright conditions on Thursday, as the freezing line hovers around 1,500m throughout this week.

More snow moves in on Friday and into the weekend, with around 15cm expected down over eastern areas, dropping to around 5cm further west. Temperatures remain cool with the freezing line staying where it is, with plenty of cloud cover to boot. Unsettled conditions continue into the new week as temperatures take a long walk off a short pier, although it remains too far out to understand just how much snow could be expected.

Austria

Updated 03/02

A tale of two halves over Austria this week, with western and eastern regions seeing different forecasts. Western areas will see steady flurries of snowfall through the middle of this week before fine, dry and bright conditions dominate on Thursday. The freezing will steadily decline over this period, starting at 2,000m and, with a few bumps along the way, float down to 500m on the weekend.

More snowfall will then come in over higher ground as the weekend begins, with 10cm expected down over Friday night and into Saturday. Things settle down, albeit remain cold and cloudy with more snowfall threatened in the new week.

Eastern areas will be far snowier through the middle of this week, with the potential for 20cm of snow down over Wednesday and Thursday. The freezing line will be higher, however, sitting around 2,000m for this period meaning snow will be limited to upper slopes. Things then cool off as the freezing line drops to 500m but things turn drier into the weekend and new week.

Italy

Updated 03/02

Good, consistent snowfall continues across the Italian Alps this week, tailing off slightly in the middle of the week over western areas as things turn cold but clearer. The Dolomites will except this rule, with around 30cm of snow expected down over Tuesday and into Wednesday, starting cold meaning most slopes are covered before the freezing line increases over the course of Wednesday.

Things then steady off in the East, with a few flurries of snow albeit not enough to make a mark on the snow stake. Elsewhere, snow will begin at this time, with around 10cm down over Thursday night and into Friday. The freezing line will hover around 2,000m albeit with a brief dive overnight into Saturday. Higher ground tot he southwest of the Italian Alps will then see further snowfall with around 20cm down over higher ground over this weekend.

Germany

Updated 03/02

Dry conditions will dominate over the German Alps for this week and into the weekend, with a few flurries of snow albeit not enough to mark the snow stake. Alongside this, temperatures will remain cool rather than cold, with the freezing line jumping around on a pogo stick throughout, starting around 2,000m before fluctuating between 1,600m and 800m.

Things turn unsettled again as the weekend comes in with a few flurries along the way, as temperatures turn cold as the weekend concludes.

Spain & Andorra

Updated 03/02

Cold conditions continue across the Pyrenees this week, with the freezing line staying below 2,000m throughout. Things otherwise remain dry and broadly sunny, with a few pockets of cloud along the way.

A few flurries of snow can be expected as the week concludes, bringing a freshener to many slopes. Otherwise, things remain cool and stable as the new week begins.

Links – Spain

Links – Andorra

Eastern Europe

Updated 03/02

A mild week and weekend is in store for Eastern Europe and the Balkans, with temperatures hanging around freezing like a bad smell. Southern areas will see them dip the right side of freezing, with a few belts of snow overnight as the weekend approaches, all in all totalling a useful 15cm for most slopes.

Further north and east, things will be milder. Significant precipitation is in store for eastern areas on Wednesday, but with temperatures around freezing there is a serious chance this falls as rain on lower slopes. North western areas at least remain dry throughout.

Useful Links – Bulgaria

Useful Links – Other Eastern Europe

Scotland

Updated 03/02

Great conditions are set to continue for Scottish resorts over this week and through this weekend, with temperatures loitering below zero and steady, almost continuous snowfall continuing throughout. Winds remain high at upper elevations, although by Scottish standards about what is to be expected!

Temperatures turn milder through this weekend, with the freezing line kipping up and over 1,000m for the first time all week – ironically this will see a really nice dump of snow over Saturday night and into Sunday, but expect this to be limited to upper slopes.

Nevis Range is struggling with repairs to the access gondola at time of writing, and expects to be out of action for the snowsports for the foreseeable – a great shame!

Scandinavia

Updated 03/02

Cold, cold and cold. Temperatures across Scandinavia remain bitter throughout this week and into the weekend, regularly scraping -15°C. Things will stay mostly dry, with sun and cloud fighting it out throughout. The exception to this is in the northwest, where milder temperatures (still well below freezing) are the exception to this rule – thanks Gulf Stream!

Useful Links

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Japan

Updated 03/02

A brief patch of milder weather puts a temporary halt to the madness that has been Jappow this winter. Temperatures will briefly tip into positive at mid-mountain level on Honshu, whilst Hokkaido stays below freezing for this period.

The madness resumes unabated, however, as the week concludes. Steady snowfall hits Honshu as temperatures drop, building to a big dump of a foot of snow on Sunday. Further north, temperatures fall off a cliff, with steady snowfall totalling about a foot of the silly soft stuff between Thursday night and Sunday evening.

USA

Updated 03/02

The catastrophic winter for the Left Coast continues, with mild conditions, sun, and a distinct lack of precipitation the story of the week. Things improve slightly as the weekend arrives, with temperatures dropping and a few flurries of snow making their way in over the PNW.

Out East, a bitterly cold albeit dry week continues, with temperatures plummeting to -25ºC (-13°F) over this coming weekend. A few flurries will come in on Friday evening.

Canada

Updated 03/02

The Left Coast’s poor season continues, although there are signs this may be changing as mild and dry conditions over the Coastal Ranges gives way to cooler temperatures and a big dump of about 25cm due over this weekend. Elsewhere in the BC Interior and Rockies things remain dry.

Over the St Lawrence, things remain dry with a few flurries of snowfall – things turn bitterly, bitterly cold, however, with temperatures hitting daytime highs of -23°C.