The southern Alps are already deep in the throes of winter, having had several weeks of generous snowfall. Now it's time for the northern Alps to receive their share, with temperatures forecast to drop over the coming days.
Many ski areas in the northern Alps will still experience fairly mild weather until Thursday, with temperatures hovering between 2° C and 4° C at 1500m above sea level. Weak to moderate winds will blow from the west. Parts of France and Switzerland may receive some showers, which should be snow above 1600m. The Mont Blanc area, in particular, hopes to receive as much as 20-40cm of fresh snow on the highest peaks. Over in Austria, the Vorarlberg may receive a few flurries but the rest of the country will be mostly cloudy with little precipitation. Italy should be dry and sunny. Starting Friday, temperatures will drop during the day as a northern wind gradually blows colder air over the Alps. During the weekend the snow line is expected to drop to altitudes between 500-1200m during the day.
The weather forecast is fairly unpredictable for the coming days. Most winter sports areas have hopes of some more fresh snow, with Austria holding out for snow on Friday and Italy waiting for 20-40cm of snow on Sunday. Saturday is expected to be dry and sunny - a good day to enjoy the fresh snow that might have fallen on Friday, since temperatures will still be low. Austria is expecting the coldest temperatures at the weekend.
Due to the heavy snowfall recently in the southern Alps, the snowbank is unstable in many places and the avalanche risk is still high. We urge everyone to follow the advice of local authorities and not take any risks such as skiing off-piste.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
