Cold air is knocking on the door. Powder during Easter?

Cold air is knocking on the door. Powder during Easter?

The temperature will drop again in the Alps the next couple of days, thanks to the current turning to the northwest. It felt like summer the last couple of days, but cold air is back in northwest Europe again today. Cold air is coming in between low pressure above Iceland and high pressure in the south of Europe. This high pressure area is still too close to the Alps right now, but it will lose its grip on the weather in the Alps later this week. This means rising chances on snowfall and dropping temperatures. In this forecast:

  • Good conditions above the treeline
  • Cold air offers good perspective for the snow quality later this week
  • Fresh snow during Easter?

Good conditions above the treeline

Despite the ‘poor’ winter, the snow conditions above the tree line are still prettuy good. There’s a closed snow cover on north faces above 2000 meters, so you can still ride some great lines. The nights are usually clear, so the snow that melts during the day freezes up again at night. But the air will become a bit unstable the next couple of days, and especially in the northwest of the Alps some cumulus clouds can form bringing some rain or snow at the end of the day. The freezing level fluctuates around 2200-2400 meters in the afternoon, but will drop deeper into the valleys during the clear nights and this gives the snow cover the opportunity to lose some of its humidity.

Current from the northwest
Current from the northwest

Cold air offers good perspective for the snow quality later this week

Besides the daily routine of warming up and cooling down, there’s a significant change in the atmosphere the next 96 hours. The current turns to northwest and the cold air manages to get closer to the Alps. That cold air makes sure that the snow is preserved pretty good and that offers perspective for the Easter period.

Fresh snow during Easter?

The models are calculating a current from the northwest that could bring some snow and cold air both on Thursday and Sunday. The models are a bit unstable and are shifting from time to time, but still. The current is good for the chances of snow for the northwestern and northern Alps. More details the next couple of days! If you have any questions, let me know!

Stay stoked. Morris

meteomorris
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