A number of quiet days thanks to high pressure

A number of quiet days thanks to high pressure
The precipitation map for the next 6 days shows the limited amounts of snow
The precipitation map for the next 6 days shows the limited amounts of snow

After a short absence during the Christmas holidays, we are fully back with the weather updates from today! Under the influence of weak high pressure, the entire Alpine arc ends up in calmer waters from today. The precipitation amounts are decreasing and we are heading for a number of mainly sunny days. Only in the weekend can we expect some precipitation again, but that does not seem to result in a lot of snowfall for the time being.

Snow masses in Abetone
Snow masses in Abetone
The ski area is closed but covered with snow
The ski area is closed but covered with snow
Also further west in Zum Zeri (near Genoa) it is incredibly deep
Also further west in Zum Zeri (near Genoa) it is incredibly deep

Retour d’Est

^The forecasts on wePowder are powdered by our friends at Ortovox

While snow conditions in the Northern Alps could definitely be better, it was very deep due to a short but strong Retour d’Est in the Piedmont and parts of the Queyras. More than 1 meter of snow fell in the Piedmont in a short time, as a result of which some villages were temporarily cut off from the outside world. A recurring phenomenon and our blogger Rogier is ready to provide us with envious images. Beautiful and at the same time frustrating to see in these times of travel restrictions.

At the same time, the rest of the Southern Alps were getting hammered as well, but the Northern Apennines near Genoa also got a lot of snow. The ski village Abetone no longer knows what to do with the amounts of snow. After a fairly bad winter last year, the ski area is in better shape than ever. Very unpleasant for the locals that the lifts are not opening yet.

The snowfall in many parts of the Northern Alps (like here in Garmisch) has resulted in nothing more than some dust on crust
The snowfall in many parts of the Northern Alps (like here in Garmisch) has resulted in nothing more than some dust on crust
Today's snow map. Much of this snow has already fallen in the morning hours
Today’s snow map. Much of this snow has already fallen in the morning hours

Cosmetic coating

Back to the Alps. Last night it started snowing in the South-Eastern Alps. Up to and including this morning, about 5 to 15 centimeters of snow can fall into the valleys. It has also snowed a bit on the north side, but this resulted only in a centimeter or two. While the sun is already coming out the inner alpine areas, it can continue to snow lightly, especially on the north side. However, it’s still only a cosmetic layer. Most precipitation amounts (about 10 centimeters of snow) will fall in the lowlands around Munich and near the Austrian-Czech border area.

On the Seegrube in Innsbruck you can clearly see that it is already clearing up considerably in the inner alpine areas
On the Seegrube in Innsbruck you can clearly see that it is already clearing up considerably in the inner alpine areas

Sunny and cold

Tomorrow will be a sunny winter day for most parts of the Alps. In the east of Austria, some snow may fall from the residual clouds in the morning. The inner-alpine areas and the regions west of Salzburg keep it dry. After the residual clouds have dissolved, it will also become sunny everywhere in Austria in the course of the afternoon. Clouds are rapidly approaching in the Southern Alps as a result of an approaching depression over the Mediterranean. The Alps (with the exception of Slovenia) do not have to take precipitation into account. The depression will move further east on Friday, bringing heavy snowfall to the Central Apennines and Balkans. The Southeastern Alps will have to deal with clouds for a little longer. In places where the sun is out, the mercury can drop considerably in the coming nights. On a large scale, temperatures of -10 degrees can be measured and locally temperatures will be able to dip below -20 degrees.

Some snow for the south side of the Alps during the weekend

A new depression over the Mediterranean will follow on Saturday. First of all, this depression causes remarkable snowfall in Spain. The inland regions in the east can expect up to 40 centimeters of snow here on top of the 20 centimeters that they can receive tomorrow and the day after, which will create unique conditions for the ski areas such as Javalambre (unfortunately closed) and Valdesqui (open). The depression over the Mediterranean will also provide some snow for the south of France and the Southeast Alps on Sunday, but this will not result in much more than 10 centimeters.

Snow on the north side?

In the long run, there are some signs of significant snowfall for the Northern Alps. Both the European and the American weather models hint at a Nordstau, but they absolutely disagree with each other right now. For example, it can be seen above that the models still differ too much in the middle of next week. The European model shows a nice north-westerly current, while the American model provides higher air pressure for Western Europe and is therefore somewhat disappointing. After that, the GFS also shows in today’s calculations a high-pressure area above Western Europe, which will dampen the snowfall in the Northern Alps. The ECMWF is still slightly more positive for the Austrian Alps. Hopefully a little more details about these developments the day after tomorrow!

wePowder guide is here!

Winter is here, but it’s still not sure what this season will look like. It’s always time to start dreaming and preparing. Whatever it will look like, the wePowder Guide is available again. We’ve extended the pre-order price of € 45.00 (excl. shipping) for a while. This thick book of 400+ pages is in stock and will be delivered to you as soon as possible! Thanks for your support!

Henri
knows everything about new ski areas, lifts and projects.
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