We still have to get through five more days of this brutal pattern but the models are starting to come into agreement on a storm impacting the Alps around Tuesday of next week. A weak area of low pressure is expected to drop down into western Europe from the northeast Atlantic before strengthening over western Europe.

The strong and resilient ridge that has dominated our weather for the last few weeks will drift northeast, but won't lose much strength. The developing low won't have the option to progress through the region because of this ridge. Instead, it will become cut off from the prevailing upper-level flow and linger in western Europe for a few to several days. 

Slow-moving cut-off lows can bring extended periods of active weather, and at times, significant snow. The models haven't sorted out all the details yet but this could bring a period of snow from Tuesday to Friday/Saturday with solid snow accumulations. 

The early indications are that the southern Alps will be favored, with the closed low-pressure system bringing south and southeast winds to the region. I still think it's too early for any more specifics so I won't say too much more now, but here is a very early look at what snow totals may look like.

The long-range models generally show a brief return to dry weather before another system arrives early the following week. This is ten+ days out and the models have some differences here as well, but at least we're not seeing another big, strong, stationary, storm-blocking ridge.

Thanks for reading the Europe Daily Snow!

Next post on Saturday.

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow