Wet and stormy with loads of snow above 2000 meters

The Alps will remain in the warm sector of a depression near the British Isles today and Monday. The air is humid, and it is thawing up to an altitude of 1600 meters (Southern Alps) to 2300 meters (Western and Northern Alps). In the inner Alpine regions and on the northern side, a föhn storm with gusts up to 120 km/h is expected on Monday. This will lead to poor winter sports conditions and various lift closures. There will be little sunshine this coming week.

Very mild spell

As the warm air moved in, snow in the French Northern Alps, Switzerland, and Vorarlberg quickly turned to rain. Regionally, more than 20 mm of rain fell up to an altitude of about 2000 meters. Along the northern edge of the Alps, some more rain may fall today, while elsewhere it is dry with a chance of sunny spells on the southern side. It also remains coldest there due to the sheltered location, with maximum temperatures around freezing at 1500 meters, while the föhn on the northern side causes temperatures to rise to +12 at that altitude and thawing up to 2300 meters.

Sudstau on Monday and Tuesday

On Monday, little changes in the temperature distribution as a new disturbance approaches from the west. In the French Alps, it will soon start raining and snowing (snowline around 2000 meters), and a sudstau will develop. The southern cantons in Switzerland and northern Lombardy can expect 30 to 40 cm of snow from about 1400-1700 meters until Tuesday morning. During the night and on Tuesday, the snow will spread over a large part of the Alps. Most snow will fall around the main ridge in Austria and the northern Dolomites, 20-30 cm. Below 1400-1700 meters, rain will also fall there. On Tuesday evening, the snowline may temporarily drop to 1000 meters as cooler air flows in from the northwest, but most precipitation will have already passed. The wind will remain strong, particularly on Monday, leading to increased avalanche danger due to wind-drifted snow.

Fairly mild and daily precipitation until Thursday

The rest of the week will see a series of disturbances from the west. The Western Alps will receive the brunt of the precipitation. The base in Switzerland and France will continue to thicken, but only from about 2000 meters. There, up to half a meter and regionally even a whole meter of snow may fall. The rest of the Alps can expect 20 to 50 cm between now and Saturday. The weather will remain variable, both in terms of conditions and temperature. Each disturbance brings a portion of mild air and cooling on the backside. The snowline will vary, but most precipitation will fall with a high snowline of 1700-2100 meters. The Southern Alps will get another chance of fresh snow at higher altitudes, especially on Thursday.

Cooling down from Thursday evening with possible nordstau

On Thursday, the influx of new depressions will stop, and a high-pressure ridge will approach. On the eastern side of this ridge, the Alps will again be in polar air. This could lead to some nordstau on Friday and Saturday, with 10-30 cm of snow down to about 800 meters on the western and northern sides of the main ridge. Given the timeframe, we remain cautious. From Sunday, we see increasing high-pressure signals, reducing precipitation chances and bringing back the sun. It will likely cool further, with severe frost, especially at night.