Snow Overviews

France

Updated 22/01

A promising week is in store for the French Alps, as the freezing line prepares to take a long walk off a short pier and plummet to finish off the week, as unsettled weather moves in at the same time. Snowfall already falling over the Alps will therefore being to reach lower slopes over the course of Thursday.

Friday will dawn cold as the freezing line hits 500m, and whilst it will recover over the course of the day it won’t climb too far above 1,500m. Snow will begin with flurries throughout the afternoon, then will continue for much of this forecast period. Around half-a-foot will fall over each of Saturday, Sunday and Monday, before the taps open on Tuesday and around 2ft of snowfall could be expected across higher ground – the freezing line will climb to 2,000m thereby limiting this snowfall across lower slopes, before falling again as Tuesday draws to a close.

This snow will fall on a persistent weak layer avalanche problem that has already caused havoc across the French Alps in previous weeks; expect the avalanche risk to climb considerably over this period. Check your local avalanche forecast and plan off piste and backcountry travel carefully.

Switzerland

Updated 22/01

High pressure currently over the Swiss Alps gives way to more unsettled conditions as the week concludes, allowing the freezing line to remain low and snow to come to many slopes. Across most of the region the freezing line will hover around 1,500m, consistently in the west but offering a more spring-like freeze-thaw oscillation in the east (albeit still cold!)

Snow will begin to fall consistently on Saturday, after a few flurries on Friday, offering around a foot of snow across higher grounds. The weekend will see excellent skiing conditions as around 5cm of fresh powder will greet skiers on cold pistes each morning. This total will increase to around 45cm in Graubunden with higher concentrations on Saturday and Monday. Whilst the freezing line spikes on Tuesday, it is expected to settle cold again with more snow due next week.

Austria

Updated 22/01

Austria sees some good and much-needed snowfall over the course of this weekend and into the new week. Temperatures remain cold throughout, as the freezing line hovers around 1,500m across the region, occassionally spiking to just above 2,000m. A few flurries of snowfall over the weekend will be matched with a few threats of sunshine, before the taps turn on into the new week.

Eastern and Southeastern areas will see around a foot of snowfall over Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, focused on Saturday when most of this will fall. Western areas will see much needed consistent snowfall, with just over a foot expected down in consistent waves from Sunday until Tuesday, with more snowfall expected later in the week.

Italy

Updated 22/01

Good, consistent snowfall will come to most of the Italian Alps in one of the rare seasons where Italy outperforms its Alpine neighbours. At least 30cm can be expected over the course of this weekend and into the new year, beginning on Friday in all areas and strengthening on Saturday. Temperatures remain cold throughout this period with the freezing line staying settled below 1,500m throughout.

A brief pause in the idiocy follows on Sunday and Monday with threats of sunshine in the Dolomites and Piemonte, but snow quickly returns into the new week even as the freezing line spikes close to 2,000m; this does mean snowfall will be more limited to higher ground over this period, but around 15-20cm will fall helping boost already good levels on this side of the Main Alpine Ridge.

Areas close to the Mont Blanc Massif could see a big dump over this period, with 50cm expected over the highest slopes in the middle of the week.

Germany

Updated 22/01

A mixed weekend and new week for German resorts, as oscillating temperatures – albeit still cold – eventually settle into a consistently cold weekend across the region. Pregnant clouds eventually birth snow, with consistent snowfall on Sunday and Monday as the freezing line reaches its nadir. This will continue into the new week even as the freezing line spikes, with this new snowfall more limited to higher ground as a result.

Spain & Andorra

Updated 22/01

Cool conditions lead the headlines up to the start of the weekend, before things turn cold over Saturday and Sunday. This will be met by more unsettled conditions with snowfall coming in across the Pyrenees; around 10cm will fall over Friday night and throughout Saturday, with flurries continuing into the new week. Things will then turn milder as the freezing line climbs and sun breaks through, however this will remain thankfully dry.

Links – Spain

Links – Andorra

Eastern Europe

Updated 22/01

Cool and dry conditions dominate across Eastern Europe and the Balkans throughout this forecast period, with temperatures hanging around freezing at resort level throughout. Heavy precipitation will move across the region as the weekend concludes. The most easterly reaches will see belts of rain, but serious dumps of snowfall are expected across the Balkans  with as much as a foot of snow expected on Monday alone. Cool and dry temperatures will quickly return, however, as the new week continues.

Useful Links – Bulgaria

Useful Links – Other Eastern Europe

Scotland

Updated 22/01

Scotland’s excellent winter looks set to continue, even after a mild patch has threatened to derail things so far. Stormy weather brings high winds and snowfall across the Highlands, so expect ski centres to remain closed until the weekend when things will settle down a bit. Strong winds and snowfall are expected to continue through the weekend, with temperatures remaining cool-to-cold boosting the chances of this handing around.

Scandinavia

Updated 22/01

Bitterly cold weather continues to dominate across Scandinavia, with daytime highs in parts hitting a balmy -16°C. Things remain dry throughout, however, with plenty of cloud in play across most of the region. High pressure will come into play at times, but will keep things dry throughout much of this period A few flurries will move across the northern reaches of  Finland and Norway, albeit barely enough to register on the snowstake.

Useful Links

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Japan

Updated 22/01

Jappow continues. Sometimes, there is little point in writing these overviews for Japan, as one word will some up everything – snow. Hokkaido will see 50cm of snow fall almost continuously throughout this period. Honshu will see similar, albeit more concentrated on the weekend when 65cm of snow will fall on Saturday alone. Snorkels at the ready …

USA

Updated 22/01

A mixed bag across the Left Coast for this forecast period, with the PNW seeing mild temperatures and rain in parts to see in the weekend. A few flurries of snow will come as temperatures cool into the new Week.

Elsewhere in the Rockies, temperatures will remain cold albeit mostly dry, including in the Tetons and Utah where daytime highs will drop as low as -11°C (12°F). A few flurries will move in as the new week begins with more snow threatening deeper into the new week. The Frontier Range will buck this trend somewhat, with temperatures remaining cold and around 15cm of snow coming across Friday night and into Saturday.

New England’s excellent season continues, with cold weather bringing consistent snowfall across this weekend and into the new week. Steady snowfall will come over Friday, before around 10cm will land Sunday night into Monday.

Canada

Updated 22/01

High pressure dominates over the weekend and into the new week over the Coastal Ranges and BC Interior. This will bring with it plenty of fine, dry and bright conditions, with sun dominating and little in the way of precipitation. More cloud over the Rockies will be met with similarly dry conditions, albeit with a few flurries of snow over the weekend.

Passing snowfall over the St Lawrence dries up as the weekend arrives, where things remain otherwise bitterly cold.