These storms out of the west are a challenge. We just don’t have the same supply of cold air that storms out of the northwest and north have. Coming off the Atlantic Ocean, which is relatively warm, brings the risk of higher snow levels, and we saw that already last night. While the next storm will be cooler, the third storm in this series will feature another period of higher snow levels before they fall later in the event. 

The next storm moves in on Monday night and will end on Tuesday, bringing a quick shot of 10 - 20 cm for the northwestern and northern Alps. With a decent cold front, snow levels will fall quickly on Monday night, producing quality snow. 

We won’t see much of a break, especially in the Fr each Alps, with a stronger storm arriving later on Tuesday. Snow levels will climb again, but only to around 1800 m, which is better than the 2000 m + snow levels we saw last night. 

This is a long-duration event, with snow lasting from Tuesday evening through Sunday in the French Alps. By the end of the weekend, we should see totals in the 40 - 80 cm + range there. With a primarily westerly flow, totals will drop off significantly in the Swiss and Austrian Alps, but a solid 20 - 40 cm will pile up, though a bit more slowly.

Snow levels will rise through around Wednesday before a cold front starts bringing them back down. Plenty of moisture will remain, especially in the French Alps, for some lower-density snow through the end of the week. Conditions will be great by then, with good powder days likely on Thursday and Friday. 

Both of these storms will deliver modest totals to the Pyrenees, but a third storm passing to the west of the Alps could bring a bigger dump to the region later in the week.

Things finally quiet down later in the weekend as a ridge develops over the northeast Atlantic/western Europe. 

As I’ve mentioned, this ridge location pushes the storm track just east of the Alps. However, small westward shifts in this ridge can put the eastern Alps on the edge of the storm track and result in some decent snow. The models still keep the storm track too far east, but I’ve seen it nudge west in the past as we get closer to this pattern developing, so I’m keeping an eye on it. 

My next post will be on Sunday.

Thanks for reading the Europe Daily Snow!

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow

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