It's snowing in the Alps!

It will snow in large parts of the Alps the next 36 hours. An active cold front pulls into the Alps from the northwest. A storm depression with the name Inge migrates to Russia via Scandinavia. Between a high-pressure area above the Atlantic Ocean and a storm depression, a north-western current has started that will provide snow for the next 36 hours and this results in some nice colors on our snow maps. The peace will return after.

TIP: check out our snow maps for more details

The front has moved into the Alps on Monday and the first webcams are already showing fresh snow. But because it’s only the start of the snowfall, we will see more webcams turning white in the coming hours. We will post updates below the next few hours, but if you have beautiful images yourself we would like to see them. Very gladly!

First avalanche forecast of the season

The snowfall of today is reason enough to publish the first avalanche forecast for Switzerland, with a report of the snowfall.

Between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning, the following amounts of fresh snow are anticipated above approximately 2500 m:

• north of an imaginary Rhine-Rhone line, northern Grisons: 20 to 40 cm, from the eastern Bernese Oberland into the Glarner Alps as much as 50 cm;
• Lower Valais and central Grisons: 10 to 20 cm;
• remaining regions of Switzerland: less or no snow at all.
  At 2000 m, approximately half the above-cited amounts of snowfall can be expected.

Check out the complete avalanche forecast here.

Calm weather from Wednesday

The northern current continues to ensure the supply of unstable air until Wednesday. After that, high pressure takes over again and it becomes dry and sunny in the Alps. The result is that the snow will start to melt again. There is a small chance that a depression will try to reach the Alps again next weekend.

The snowfall of today and tomorrow is good news for the glaciers. After a hot summer they become a little whiter again. Some of them are already open or will open their lifts in the coming weeks. Below you’ll find the expected opening dates for the ski resorts in the Alps for this fall. In addition, not all the lifts will be open on the glaciers.

Opening dates are based on experiences from the past. The current weather conditions ultimately determine whether an area opens or stays closed. Check the weather before you leave and check with the area that they are open and which lifts are expected to run.

Switzerland

• Matterhorn Zermatt: Open
• Saas-Fee: Open
• Engelberg: October 5th
• Sankt Moritz Diavolezza: October 20th (closes again from 23/11)
• Davos Parsenn: November 2nd
• Glacier 3000: November 3rd
• Andermatt – Gemsstock: November 9th
• Val d’Anniviers: November 17th
• Sankt Moritz Corvatsch: November 24th

Austria

• Mölltaler Gletscher: Open
• Pitztaler Gletscher: Open
• Stubaier Gletscher: Open
• Kaunertaler Gletscher: Open
• Sölden: October 5th
• Kitzsteinhorn: October 6th
• Hintertuxer Gletscher: October 13th
• Kitzbühel: October 13th
• Dachstein Gletscher: November 4th
• Obergurgl - Hochgurgl: November 15th

Italy

• Passo dello Stelvio: Open (closes in November)
• Breuil-Cervinia: October 20th
• Sulden am Ortler: October 27th
• Passo Tonale: October 27th
• Schnalstal (Val Senales): mid October (from the 15th of September only for ski teams!)
• Drei Zinnen Sextner Dolomiten: November 17th

France

• Les 2 Alpes: October 26th
• Val Thorens: November 17th