Showery conditions exist across much of the Alps as several cut of lows linger across the region. As one of these storms strengths on Thursday, its location will bring northwest winds to the northern Alps Thursday through Friday and a period of heavy snow.

Below is the upper-level pattern during that time. You can see the cut off low strength just north of the Alps and then track across them. 

The northern Alps from in the northwest wind favored locations from northern France through western Austria will be favored, where 25 - 50 cm will be possible. Totals will drop off farther south in the French Alps, farther east in the Austrian Alps, and of course on the southern side of the Alps.

This cut-off low will drag a small pool of cold air across the Alps on Thursday that will drop snow levels rapidly in Switzerland and Austria, but not quite as much in northern France. Snow levels will start around 1500 m across the region, dropping to around 1200 m with the fold front in France, and down to 8-900 m in Switzerland and France. 

Friday looks like the best day of the bunch with around 15.- 30 cm of new snow overnight in many locations in northern France and Switzerland. We will see a break in the action for the rest of the weekend followed by a round of showers early next week. 

Much of next week will be dry with seasonal temperatures but the models show another storm arriving around Thursday the 20th. The models are all over the places with this system so I will hold off on any additional details. 

My next post will be on Thursday.

Thanks for reading the Europe Daily Snow!

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow

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