The 2023-2024 Winter was a season full of extremes, with great snowpack variability from west to east, north to south, and high to low elevations. The season featured some incredible storm cycles for the Alps and Pyrenees, with some painful warm and dry stretches as well. The northern Alps finished the season off with a bang as one of the best storm cycles of the winter occurred from mid to late April while resorts were closing down. 

• The period from November through December was cold and wet for the northern Alps, with a series of Nordstaus resulting in nearly record early-season snowfall. From France through Austria the high and low-elevation snowpack was well above normal and they had some of the best early-season conditions in years. Meanwhile, the southern side of the Alps got off to a very slow start, thanks in part to the foehn winds that result in dry and relatively warm conditions on the leeward side of the range during Nordstaus.
• After a dry start to January, from the middle of the month through most of March, we saw nearly the opposite storm track from the start of the season. Storms generally came from the southwest, bringing countless strong Sudstaus to the region. This pattern is typically associated with warmer air masses from the southwest, and that was the case during most of the January through March period. The pattern favored the southern Alps and remained active, especially in February and March. However, with warm temperatures, snow levels were high and the discrepancy between the low and high-elevation snowpack started to grow. The foehn wasn't as prominent for the northern Alps during this period, so the high elevation snowpack on the northern side of the Alps continued to grow during this period. High snow levels decreased the low-elevation snowpack in this region, however. 
• The end of March and the first half of April featured a persistent high pressure that brought an extended period of record-setting warmth. The low-elevation snowpack in all of the Alps and Pyrenees took a big hit during this time, and green grass was showing across the low elevations of most resorts. Around the middle of the month, another favorable pattern for the northern Alps developed. It was snowing in some part of the Alps for three weeks straight, and the Swiss Alps/western Austrian Alps got hammered, with up to 3 m in some locations. Although most resorts were closed or closing during that time, enough places in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria remained open to take advantage of the new snow. 

We can take a look at the monthly temperature and precipitation anomalies to get a closer look at how the winter progressed in Europe.

November

In November, precipitation in the northern Alps was well above normal, and combined with slightly below-normal temperatures, especially in the central and eastern Alps, these regions got off to a great start. The Pyrenees were slightly warmer than normal but saw above-normal snowfall at mid and upper elevations. Meanwhile, the southern Alps were dry and had a slow start to the season.

December

The active storm track coming from the north/northwest continued in December, producing another month with above-normal precipitation. While temperatures came out above normal for the entire month, enough cold air was present during the storm cycles to bring near-record snow accumulations. The Pyrenees saw similar conditions in December, with above-normal precipitation and slightly above-normal temperatures. 

January

The pattern that delivered Nordstau after Nordstau in November and December began to change in January. Overall, both the Alps and Pyrenees saw above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation. The first half of the month was warm and dry, but a southerly storm track developed in the latter part of the month. The western and southern Alps saw some significant high-elevation snowfall. 

 

February

The storm track remained consistent through most of February as well, with several Sudstaus impacting the region. The southerly and southwesterly winds directed warm air into the region, resulting in high snow levels, but the upper elevations of the southern and western Alps received significant snow. The northern Alps didn't get left out of these storms, and although they received much less precipitation overall, some storms brought high-elevation snow especially near the inner alpine area.

March

The overall pattern didn't change much in March, with the southern Alps continuing to be favored. Warm temperatures prevailed, limiting low-elevation snowfall, but the upper elevations, especially in the southern Alps and the inner alpine area, continued to see heavy snowfall. The upper-elevation snowpack continued to grow, while the high snow levels led to a decreasing snowpack at lower elevations. Most of the month was stormy as several strong systems moved through the region.

April

The temperatures finished up slightly above normal for April, which is surprising given the extremely warm and record-breaking period during the first half of the month. It felt more like summer during this period and the low-elevation snowpack was decimated. The only reason the month didn't finish well above normal for temperatures was the prolonged stormy period with well-below-normal temperatures during the latter part of the month. Despite the dry first half of the month, the northern Alps saw above-normal precipitation and snow for the month.

A series of strong and cold storms slammed the northern Alps from mid-month on, bringing perhaps the best conditions of the entire season. The temperatures were well below normal and the snow quality was great for a period of two weeks. The southern and western Alps got in the action too as the storms stalled south of the region. Although temperatures began to warm toward the end of the month, high-elevation snow continued. 

By the end of the season, the discrepancy between the high-elevation and low-elevation snowpack was striking. This didn't have a devastating impact on the skiing and riding as a whole though. There were limited dry periods as storms moved through the Alps and Pyrenees for the majority of the season. You could ski and ride powder nearly the entire season and you can still make turns on a deep snowpack in the backcountry in the middle of May. 

The late April storm cycle was so good that I even did a last-minute chase to the Alps. I rode deep to insanely deep powder six out of seven days from Switzerland to Italy to Austria. This was the best storm cycle and the best overall powder days I had the entire Winter. Below are a few shots from the chase.

Here is a link to a short video summary of the trip, including one of the deepest days of my life at Lech/Zurs in Austria.

Stick With OpenSnow This Summer

Don’t forget that you can use OpenSnow as your go-to weather app, no matter the season. We have continued to expand our year-round features to make OpenSnow your go-to resource for hiking, climbing, biking, and all other outdoor activities.

For the spring, summer, and fall, here are some of our most useful features...

• Forecast for your Current Location
  Hit the "Weather" tab on your "Favorites" screen and you'll see the current temperature and wind speed at your location. Tap on that to view the forecast.
• Forecasts Anywhere on Earth
  Just tap on the map then save your point. Great for hiking, climbing, biking, camping, etc.
• Current Radar
  On our map overlays, select "Current Global Radar" for coverage throughout Canada. You can also select "Current US Radar" for coverage in the U.S. and Southern Canada.
• Air Quality & Wildfire Smoke Forecast Maps
  Hopefully, we don't have to use these maps very often, but when we do need them, the forecast accuracy is quite good, especially for 1-2 days into the future. I recommend using the Smoke (surface) map as this covers most of BC, while the high-res smoke map only covers far southern BC.
• Current Air Quality Map
  Hopefully, we don't have to use these maps very often, but when we do need them, seeing real-time Air Quality helps to know if outdoor activities are a good idea right now.
• Hourly Lightning Forecasts
  Lightning cannot be forecast accurately, but we do know the general times and locations when it is possible. Don't get caught above the treeline during a storm!
• Hourly Precipitation Forecasts
  Summer precipitation tends to be more showery and random in nature compared to frontal systems in the winter, but our hourly precipitation forecasts give you a good idea of which times of day rain (or snow) is more likely.
• Hourly Wind Forecasts
  We show projected wind speed and wind gusts, which is great info if your hiking objectives include high-mountain passes or summits.
• Offline Maps for Satellite & Terrain
  Heading off the grid? Download maps to take with you. A few taps and you'll be able to access the maps without an internet signal.
• Western U.S. Daily Summit
  Don't be discouraged by the name. I also write a "Daily Snow" during the summer months that focuses on summer weather (rain, thunderstorms, fires/smoke) across the Western U.S. and Western Canada. I typically update this 3x/week from late May through early September.

Also, remember that your OpenSnow All-Access subscription (list of all features) is good for 365 days and all of the features above are included with your subscription.

In short, OpenSnow is a useful tool to track the freeze/thaw cycle for corn snow and peak-bagging this spring, avoid lightning and wildfire smoke this summer, escape to the desert for hero dirt in the fall, and find every powder day next winter.

Find Powder in the Southern Hemisphere During Their Winter

If your 'summer' pursuits take you to a snowy spot, you can use OpenSnow to track powder across the globe, including Southern Hemisphere ski regions such as South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Our forecasts work on any land area on Earth for 365 days a year, and you can quickly see where it's snowing with our Powder Finder.

Our team of local forecasters is also expanding to include the Southern Hemisphere. Last year, we introduced the South America Daily Snow, and this year, we are excited to launch the Australia and New Zealand Daily Snow. Stay tuned for this if you have plans to head down under this "summer".

Next Winter (2024-2025)

As of May 2024, El Nino is weakening and confidence is increasing that we will head into La Nina for next season. 

Learn More → El Nino and La Nina Explained

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, there is a 60% chance of La Nina conditions developing by mid-summer 2024 and an 80-90% chance of La Nina conditions developing by late fall/early winter.

This means that ocean temperatures in the Central and Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean will become colder than average, which will lead to a change in thunderstorm patterns over the tropics, which then changes storm tracks around the world.

La Nina has limited and less predictable concrete impacts on winter conditions in Europe compared to North America. Studies of correlations between El Nino and Europe climate yield weak and inconclusive results. There is some correlation between La Nina and cooler temperatures in the Alps and Pyrenees, but the signal is not strong.

You can read about the relationship between El Nina/La Nina and European winters, as well as some of the other atmospheric features that impact winter weather in Europe in last year's Winter Forecast Preview. 

Stay tuned for a more in-depth winter preview for Europe this fall.

Wrapping it up

It was awesome writing the Europe Daily Snow this Winter, and I look forward to keeping you guys updated next year. I learned so much in these first two years forecasting for the Alps and Pyrenees, and I will continue to do everything I can to gain more knowledge.

Writing snow forecasts is my dream job, and there is nothing else I would rather do. In addition to the Europe Daily Snow, I write the Washington Daily Snow as well as the South America Daily Snow in the summer. Don't forget to check those out. 

Our development team at OpenSnow continues to work hard to fine-tune our proprietary forecast data and add awesome new features every year. 

We are so grateful that we have earned your support, and we will continue to work hard to earn your support for decades to come.

Thanks for reading the Europe Daily Snow this season, and I hope that you have a wonderful spring, summer, and fall!