It’s snowing like crazy in the southern Alps and it started to snow in the French northern Alps as well yesterday. The webcams say it all, but more important is the question ‘where to go the next couple of days?’ It’s Thursday and what will happen the next 48-96 hours? In this article we’ll look back first, than we’ll give you a forecast for the next couple of days, where to go suggestions for the weekend and a long term forecast.
100 centimeter of freshies the last couple of days!
And we’re still counting. You can find up to a meter of freshies in the Italian Piemonte (where PowderAlert #4 was focussing on). This meter came down in less than a week. I received updates from La Thuile, Sestrière and Prali with around a meter of freshies. But it didn’t just snow in the Piemonte. A cold front arrived in the French northern Alps and the west of Switzerland yesterday, resulting in heavy snowfall and it’s still snowing there right now. The front will move on towards the Po-valley and will change into a low pressure area. The results of three PowderAlerts? On average around 50-100 centimeters above 1900-2300 meters. That’s more than enough snow to ride on alpine meadows, but it’s too little to cover the sharks on a rocky surface. Please be careful and use this information to ride on the right surface. And always check the latest avalanche bulletin!
Short term: more freshies!
It will keep snowing for a while. The low pressure area is reactivating again in the southern Alps this afternoon. It will snow a lot aorund the Monte Rosa, south of the Gotthard and the area in Italy south of the main alpine ridge. You can add another 30-60 centimeters of freshies the next 36 hours. The sun will come out on Friday and a logical consequence is that it will stop snowing in the western parts of the Alps.
Nordstau from Saturday
It was popping up on the maps once in a while, but with the current division of pressure you just have to be careful what to forecast. But we’re quite sure now. There will be a Nordstau from Saturday. It will snow from the Vorarlberg to Vienna. The areas north of the main alpine ridge will get the most snow. The snowline will drop towards 500 meters (or even lower) during the night from Friday to Saturday. You can expect between 40-100 centimeters in the Austrian resorts in just 72 hours. The resorts east of Tirol, the Salzburgerland and Steiermark will get the most!
Samenvattend
The complete Alps will have a snowcover of around 50 to 120 centimeters above 1800 meters from Monday. The complete Alps? No, one region is lacking a little bit. The French southern Alps didn’t get much snow yet. But fortunately for them there’s plenty to be found at the neighbours of the Piemonte. The start of this winter is exceptionally good!
Where to go?
The 100.000 euro question. There aren’t that many lifts open this time of the season. A lot of resorts are planning to open next week. But fortunately there are some resorts that are already open and that got a lot of freshies. It’s quite simple for this weekend. If you want sun and freshies you should head to the western Alps. If you want snowfall during your stay, you should head tot Austria. Click on the destination below to select some appartment and hotel options. Booking a trip doesn’t get any easier than that. Enjoy!
Frankrijk
Courchevel (two lifts open, free liftpass on Saturday)
Val Thorens (good base, but sharks)
Tignes (good base)
Switzerland
Verbier (Good base. Was pretty good last weekend)
Andermatt (good base, but sharks)
Zinal-Grimentz (good base, especially on the meadows)
Davos-Klosters (not much of a base)
St. Moritz (Corviglia open this weekend. Lots of freshies today)
Zermatt (lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Saas Fee (lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Italy
Sulden (good base, meadows are ok, lots of snow today)
Passo Tonale (lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Madesimo (nog weinig base. Vandaag veel verse sneeuw)
Prali (open on Sunday)
Austria
Molltaler gletsjer (lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Kaunertal (lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Solden(lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Stubai (lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Hintertux(lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Kaprun (lots of snow, look out for crevasses!)
Obergurgl (good base, but sharks)
Long term
It will stay cold after Monday and it it’s not that it won’t be snowing anymore. The current division of pressure will keep the French southern Alps on the bench for a while, while the rest of the Alps are scoring touchdowns by the minute.
Don’t forget to introduce yourself!
Telemikey just opened a forum thread where you can introduce yourself. ‘I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread where we can introduce ourselves. Not only so messages are a little more personal but also so we might be able to hook up or for when we’re looking for local info, we know who to ask.’ Good idea @Telemikey!
Oh… Are you going this weekend? And where?
Stay stoked
Morris