Four seasons in one week in the northern Alps

Four seasons in one week in the northern Alps

It’s four seasons in one week in the northern Alps. It will rain up to high altitude on Tuesday (dry snow above 1900 meters), Thursday will feel like summer with maybe even 20 degrees in the valleys and winter will be back on Friday with snow deep into the valleys. It will be sunny and mild in the other regions of the Alps the whole week. In this forecast:

  • Rain and snowfall on the north side of the main alpine ridge from Tuesday
  • High temperatures on Thursday
  • A new storm with snowfall deep into the valleys at the end of the week
  • Long term scenario

Rain and snowfall on the north side of the main alpine ridge from Tuesday

Clouds will come in from the northwest tonight. Storm Rolf will send a warm front to the north side of the Alps in the night from Monday to Tuesday. This front will bring rain and the snow line will rise. You can expect rain up to 1500 meters (and temporarily even up to 1800 meters). Dry snow will come down above 1900 meters. It will be a mixture of wet and dry snow between 1500 and 1900 meters. It will be sunny, dry and mild in the west of the Alps (with the exception of the north of the French northern Alps) and in the southern Alps.

Storm Rolf and his warm front
Storm Rolf and his warm front

You can see the warm front (in red) on the map above. The cold front (blue) doesn’t manage to find its way to the Alps. Despite the rain, Wednesday will be a powder day above 2000 meters with some sun in the northern Alps. Meanwhile, the sun is shining in the western and southern Alps.

High temperatures on Thursday

The Alps will have to deal with warm air on Thursday and the temperature could rise up to 20 degrees in the valleys. This will end quite rapidly when cold air will come in from the northwest in the night to Friday.

A new storm with snowfall deep into the valleys at the end of the week

The combination of the remaining warm and moist air and the suddenly incoming cold air will result in a lot of snowfall in the French northern Alps and the rest of the northern Alps on Friday. You can expect 30-50 cm of fresh snow above 1500 meters.

Lots of fresh snow on Friday
Lots of fresh snow on Friday

Saturday is the day when the first batch of tourists will leave and the second batch will arrive. It will be a powder day in the north of the Alps. Unfortunately, the temperature will rise later that day, so get up early. High pressure will take over again after Saturday. The weather will be mild and sunny again, but not for long.

New storm violence coming in
New storm violence coming in

Long term scenario

There’s a new storm on the maps for the last day of February/first day of March. If the temperature will drop? We’ll see what will happen the next couple of days.

Stay stoked. Morris

meteomorris
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