Large parts of Europe are under the spell of the arctic outbreak with snowfall and particularly low temperatures for April. Also in the Northern Alps, the northern flow has already left quite a bit of snow behind. Until tomorrow afternoon, the Northeastern Alps will keep the chance of heavy snow showers, but after that a high pressure area over Southeastern Europe will provide quite some warming in the Northern Alps. At the same time, the snow chances in the southern Alps will increase significantly.
Up to half a meter of snow
^The forecasts on wePowder are powdered by our friends at Ortovox
In the Nordstau areas of Switzerland and Austria, about 20 to 40 centimeters of snow have already fallen, with locally even up to half a meter of snow. The low temperatures have also ensured that it has become white all the way down into the valley. Yesterday during the day, as expected, many regions experienced wide clearings, making it a dream day. Ski Lodge Engelberg has again provided us with enviable images from the fresh snow.
More snow for Austria
Today the northern flow still persists, but the snowfall is increasingly confined to the eastern areas. The high-pressure area west of the Alps is moving more and more to the east, which means that it has already brightened up considerably in the Western Alps. Throughout the day, the Northern Alps will remain in a situation with broad skies and from time to time heavy showers with snow down into the valleys. The stau areas will see the least sun and receive the most snow.
In the course of the evening the snowfall intensifies again, but now the focus will be more in the east of Austria. Vorarlberg and Tyrol will certainly get some snow, but in the Salzburgerland and further east, 30 to locally perhaps 50 centimeters of snow may fall until tomorrow afternoon. The snow showers can be particularly heavy in the stau areas with graupel and possibly thunderstorms. Until tomorrow afternoon it can continue snowing, then it will clear up here by the approaching high pressure area.
Warmer
By Friday, the winter conditions with this Nordstau episode is over again. The high pressure area moves further to the southeast, bringing the Alps into a mild southwest flow. Temperatures rise and the Northern Alps will have to deal with a few days of Südföhn. Temperatures of 20 degrees are again possible in the valleys over the weekend.
Südstau/Retour d’Est?
At the same time, a low pressure system over the Mediterranean may start to provide particularly heavy snow in the southern Alps during Saturday. Several models are either hinting at a dump along the entire southern side of the Alps or a Retour d’Est. The exact details are not yet known, but at this moment Ticino and Northern Piemonte have the best chances for a dump of possibly 1 meter of snow. However, our weather model calculates the largest snowfall accumulations in the extreme southwestern Alps. In addition to the location of the heaviest snowfall, the snowline at this time is also not yet certain. It is possible that the snowline will temporarily be well above 1500 meters, but it is certainly not unlikely that the snowline will remain around 1500 meters. Friday more about these details in a new weather report!
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