The reports on Powfinder and on the website showed the huge differences between the northern Alps and the southern Alps (including the French southern Alps). We’re just passing the Brenner. Seven degrees warmer and green meadows on the north side and snowfall in the Dolomites since 12.00 o’clock. Powfinder user Niels sent us this message this weekend. It’s quite clear. You have to go to the areas south and southwest of the main alpine ridge.
Current
Around 30-70 centimeters came down since Saturday. It snowed heavily in the stau regions of the Ecrins, the Mercantour and the Dolomites. The precipitation that was caused by an Adria-low in the night from Sunday to Monday is moving towards the northern side of the eastern Alps and that will result in around 10-30 centimeter of freshies from Ischgl in the west to Hochkar in the east. The resorts in the main alpine ridge will receive the most snow, where the most snow is expected Monday afternoon and evening.
Short term
Tuesday and Wednesday will be dry and sunny in most parts of the Alps. But a new depression is showing up on the weather maps and that might just be PowderAlert #17.
PowderAlert #17
A Genua-low named Hirlam appeared on the maps of the ECMWF and GFS and that low is getting more powerful every hour. It’s never really certain what the exact direction of the low will be, but right now it’s looking good for the next powder alert. I expect snow in the western and southern Piemonte of the southern Alps west. So you better get your ass over there if you want to ride some powder!
After that…
A high pressure area is dictating the weather in the Alps after Thursday and that will be the case till Sunday. There won’t be any significant precipitation after Thursday. We’ll have to wait till Sunday to see another low pressure area making some attempts to reach the Alps.
ECMWF and GFS agreed on the weather for this week and the long term looks pretty certain as well. Something is about to happen from Sunday the 27th. But it’s not quite clear what it will be. Will it be a west stau? A southwest stau and föhn in the north? Or is winter returning in the northern Alps? The most likely scenario at the moment will be a southwest stau. With a high pressure area just after that. And that isn’t really positive. The Jetstream will be pushed further north and that will result in warm temperatures in the Alps. But fortunately, that’s still far away…
Powder advice
You’ll find the best conditions in the southern Alps this week. You’ll have to search for powder now and then, but the ski areas aren’t that well-known and it’s pretty easy to ride powder.
Check the wePowder Freeride Guide for:
Stay stoked
Morris