Today, a front brings some fresh snow to the eastern Alps. After that, sunny high-pressure weather will return, but for how long?
A small refresher for Austria today
An upper-level disturbance (cold pool) is moving from Poland to Southeast Europe today. Its cold front will bring a few centimeters of snow to much of Austria this morning, reaching down to the valleys. This afternoon and evening, the snowfall will be limited to the east, in the states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and northern Styria. There, about 10 to 15 centimeters of snow may fall. The rest of the Alpine region will remain mostly dry with plenty of sunny periods, especially in the western and southern Alps. The freezing level will be between 400 and 1400 meters (from east to west).
Easterly flow tomorrow, chance of some flakes in Cuneo
Between a high-pressure area centered over the Benelux and a depression in the Mediterranean, there will be a fairly cold easterly flow tomorrow. The frost line will change little, and most regions can expect plenty of sunshine. An exception will be the southern Italian Alps, where the easterly flow will cause more cloudiness in Piedmont due to light orographic lift. In the province of Cuneo, there may be light snow with a few centimeters possible near the French border.
Still quite cold on Friday
There is a clear delay in the weather models regarding the predicted warming. On Friday, the Alps will still be south of the high-pressure axis, keeping the snow well-preserved. At night, it will freeze moderately to severely, and during the day, the frost line will be between 800 and 1400 meters in the inner Alps. In sheltered valleys, temperatures will barely rise above freezing, and in the lower valleys (below 800 meters), fog and low clouds may linger. The inner Alps will see the most sunshine, and in Piedmont, the easterly flow will still cause cloud and an occasional snowflake.
Milder over the weekend
On Saturday and Sunday, the high-pressure area will extend towards the Balkans, allowing milder air to flow over the Alps from the south. The frost line will rise during the day, in sunny and calm conditions, to 1700-2200 meters.
Calm and dry conditions persist early next week
Next week, the pressure differences over the continent will decrease, resulting in very calm weather for at least the first half of the week. The air pressure over the Alps will still be high at 1020 hPa, so descending air movements will continue to cause mostly clear skies. It will be slightly less mild than during the weekend, with a frost line between 1400 and 1800 meters.
New winter opportunities at the end of January?
Later in the week, all weather models predict high-pressure impulses over Scandinavia. This could potentially lead to a new cold outbreak, but it could also be directed towards the Balkans and bypass the Alps. We will, of course, keep a close eye on this and keep you updated in the coming days.