Locally 100 to 200 cm of fresh snow in the high alpine!

It’s started. The winter in the high alpine has started. A lot of rain and snow came down in the Alps since Saturday after a dry summer and very dry autumn. The first base layer for the rest of the season came down in the high alpine. In particular, the ski areas south of the main alpine ridge got huge amounts of snow above 2200 meters. The ski areas in the main alpine ridge also got their share.

Switzerland: lots of snow in the south and near the Gotthard

The automatic measuring stations in Switzerland show large amounts of fresh snow in the high alpine. Below the first snow cover map of this season. Based on the data from the measuring stations, a map is plotted that gives a reasonable picture of the height of the snow cover at this moment.

• Little snow below 2000 meters on the northern side of the Alps.
• Inneralpine areas of Graubünden (Davos, Lenzerheide, Disentis etc.): snow line well below 2000 meters, closed snow cover above 2000 meters up to half a meter thick, thick snow cover above 2500 meters.
• Inneralpine areas of Valais: snow line around 2000 meters. Up to half a meter of snow above 2200 meters.
• Northern alpine ridge: lots of snow in the high alpine from the Schilthorn via the Gotthard to Flims. Half a meter or more above 2000 meters, 80 cm and more above 2500 meters.
• Main alpine ridge (Zermatt, Saas Fee, Andermatt, Sankt Moritz): 80 cm and more above 2000 meters, 150 cm+ above 2500 meters
• The south side of the main alpine ridge in Ticino (Airolo, Bosco Gurin): now snowing heavily and the snow line has sunk deep into the valley.

There’s already 150cm + at an altitude of 2700 meters at the middle station of the Corvatsch. It takes a while before the lifts will start to run there, but it will be great on the glaciers of Zermatt, Saas Fee and the Diavolezza the coming days.

Italy: a lot of snow in the high alpine

Unfortunately, there are not such nice maps of Italy, but with the help of the automatic weather stations and the webcams you’ll still get a good overview. The first dump between Saturday and Sunday resulted in a lot of snow around the Ortler and Piz Bernina (Livigno, Stelvi, Santa Catarina, Bormio, Passo Tonale). [I published all these images on Sunday] (https://wepowder.com/en/forum/topic/259950). The Stelvio is now covered with snow and it looks as if winter tires can be useful.

The center of gravity of the precipitation shifted towards the Northern Piedmont (Alagna, San Domenico, Macugnaga) from Sunday evening and later also to the Aosta and the rest of the Piedmont. Via the Piedmont you can get a good picture of the snow cover.

And with the incoming cold air it now also snows deep into the valleys.

But there is also Sahara sand mixed in the snow. There is a lot of sand in the snow that falls to the east of the Ortler, especially since Monday evening.

With all the data we now know the following:

• Northeast (Dolomites and Alpe di Giulia): little to no snow below 2000 meters, above that altitude some snow mixed with Sahara sand.
• Around the Ortler and Livigno: a lot of snow above 2200 meters and a meter or more above 2500 meters. 200 cm of snow was measured here and there.
• Monte Rosa and northern Piedmont: 80 cm and more above 2000 meters, 150 cm above 2500 meters
• Aosta and the rest of the Piedmont: little snow below 1500 meters. Up to half a meter up to 2500 meters, lots of snow above 2500 meters.

In short: a lot of snow in the high alpine. It will be good on the glaciers of Cervinia and the Stelvio the coming days. The ski areas more to the east (Sulda am Ortler, Passo Tonale and Val Senales) can suffer from the Sahara sand.

France: white in the valleys for a while, half a meter or more in the high alpine

There are also no snow maps for France, and the network of monitoring stations is not as good as in other countries. With the help of the webcams and my contacts with the locals I can still get a reasonable picture. It was still a bit disappointing with the snowfall until Monday afternoon, but the conditions have improved thanks to the incoming cold front from the west. But in the high alpine it is still not really thick.

With all the data we now know the following:

• Pre-Alps of the Alpes du Nord: snow line locally dropped to about 400 meters altitude. The alpine meadows are white and, from 1200 meters there’s a (temporarily) closed snow cover everywhere. 20-50 cm of snow above 2000 meters, locally 80 cm from 2400 meters altitude.
• Main alpine ridge of the Alpes du Nord: 5-30 cm above the 2000 meters, 20-70 cm above 2500 meters.
• Pre-Alps of the Alpes du Sud: snow line locally dropped to about 1000 meters altitude. The alpine meadows are white and there’s a (temporarily) closed snow cover everywhere from 1500 meters. Above 2000 meters: 10-30 cm of snow, locally 50 cm from 2500 meters.
• Main alpine ridge of the Alpes du Sud: 5-20 cm of snow above 2000 meters, 20-80 cm of snow from 2500 meters.

It’s a white world today, but the snow on the lower parts of the mountain it’s going to get difficult with rising temperatures and the Lombarda. There is a first base in the high alpine, but it’s thin locally (also due to the wind). It’s definitely a base thanks to the help of the Pistenbullies on the glaciers. The conditions in Tignes have improved, but there are better glaciers for the first turns.

Austria: lots of snow in the main alpine ridge

There is a snow map indicating the snow cover for Austria. It is still highly experimental and there are some mistakes here and there (the map shows little snow on the Corvastch). Nevertheless, together with the measuring stations it’s definitely possibel to give an overview. The northern Alps were treated to a pack of snow on Saturday, but mild temperatures and a strong southern Föhn didn’t treat the snow well. Meanwhile, it snowed heavily in the glacier resorts in the main alpine ridge. Especially in the glacier resorts west of the Brenner Pass it has snowed heavily.

It snowed heavily south of the main alpine ridge the last 24 hours, but at the same time the temperatures were rising on the north side of the Alps. Check out the differences in the image below.

The snow cover on the glaciers also has to deal with the strong wind, which is transporting a lot of snow.

With all the data we now know the following:

• Pre-Alps and northern Alps: little snow below 2000 meters north of the Inn, above that a thin layer. The farther you go to the east, the thinner the snow cover
• Main alpine ridge: a substantial snow cover that is about 40-120 cm thick on average but has suffered a lot of wind above 2200-2500. The thickest snow cover in the west, significantly thinner in the east.
• Southern Alps: substantial snow cover above 2000 meters

Excellent conditions on the glaciers. The more western you go, the better. Wind has transported a lot of snow and with the southern stau of Wednesday/Thursday that will happen again.

Conclusion: great start for the high alpine

The high alpine have had their first snow. A good amount of snow has fallen above 2200-2500 meters everywhere. The best conditions on the border between Italy and Switzerland it will become even better thanks to a southern Stau the coming days. The glaciers in the Austrian main alpine ridge have also taken a big step.