We are (again) on the eve of a number of turbulent days. The week starts with a mix of a cold and warm front with powder days on Tuesday morning and Thursday. The weather in the Alps will be dominated by a southern stau from Friday with possibly a snow sandwich. Powder during Easter seems guaranteed, especially when you pick a resort at high altitude. In this forecast:
- Tuesday starts with powder
- The temperature will be too high the next 36 hours
- Another powder day on Thursday
- Southern Stau on Friday and Saturday
- Possibly followed by a snow sandwich
- Results in powder during Easter
That sounds like a plan on the way to Easter, but as always with long-term forecasts, the devil is in the details and things might be shifting the next couple of days.
Tuesday starts with powder
Above the snow forecast up to and including tomorrow morning. You can expect some snowfall in the northwest and north of the Alps. Around 5-15 cm will come down above 1500 meters with outliers towards the 20-30 cm around the highest peaks of the Bernese Oberland. There is some silence before the storm tomorrow morning (Tuesday) and you can enjoy some fresh powder because the sun will show its face once in a while. Recommendations for tomorrow morning are the usual suspects in the northern Swiss alpine ridge: Engelberg, Hasliberg, the Schilthorn and resorts around. Of course, the Arlberg also benefits. Get up early and assume that a new storm will come in by the end of the morning. If you like to ride in the sun you’re better off on the south side of the Alps. There is no fresh snow over there, but the sun is shining.
The temperature will be too high the next 36 hours
A warm front will head into the Alps on Tuesday. The snow line will rise, it will rain in the valleys and the visibility gets worse. It’s difficult to navigate in the high alpine. The same recipe for the Wednesday morning, but cold air will come in from the northwest by the end of the day. The snow line will drop and… Thursday will be a powder day.
Another powder day on Thursday
It will snow in the northwest of the Alps between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. The snow line is dropping, the temperature is dropping and thanks to some high pressure it will be sunny in the northwest. Well, some clouds might ruin the show, but I’m pretty positive right now. Thursday morning seems to be great in the northern French Alps (yes … including Cham), western Valais and the Bernese Oberland. Again: get up early. The current turns to the south and with a rising southern wind windslabs arise in no time.
Southern Stau on Friday and Saturday
The current turns to the south from Thursday and it starts snowing in the southern Alps with a dropping snow line. Same story on Friday and probably on Saturday as well. Powder galore! At the same time, there is a strong Föhn wind in the northern Alps. Good visibility and comfortable temperatures, but that’s not the best thing that can happen to the powder. The wind will transport the snow (avalanche danger) and/or it becomes wet because of the mild air. No, for powder you have to be in the southern Alps.
Possibly followed by a snow sandwich
According to the latest calculations, cold air can flow in from the northwest in the course of Saturday. The Alps will have to deal with a snow sandwich with snow from the southwest and northwest and here you go: powder during Easter. Let’s see if this will actually happen, or if the weather will shift again.
In short:
- Powder in the northwest on Tuesday
- Wax up on Wednesday (bad visibility)
- Thursday: powder in the northwest of the Alps
- Powder in the south of the Alps on Friday and Saturday
- Powder during Easter!
Check out our detailled forecast maps to check out the snowfall in your resort!
Stay stoked.
Morris