Scattered rain and high-elevation snow showers are possible at times this week, although most areas will remain dry for the most part. The best chances for showers will be on Wednesday evening/night and Thursday evening/night.

This weekend, a cold storm will drop down from the north and track through the eastern Alps. The most significant impacts are expected in the central and eastern Alps. The models show a relatively cold air mass being dragged down into the region for this storm, so snow levels could fall to respectable levels for early May.

This storm track would bring north/northwest winds, which would favor the northern Alps, especially in Austria. The models are not in great agreement on snow totals at this time, but some are showing the potential for 15 to 30 plus cm above 1800 m through Tuesday of next week. An early look at snow totals from the American model is shown below.

The glaciers in Austria would have some decent powder early next week, especially on Monday, in this scenario. Other models aren't as strong and only show snow totals in the 5 to 15 cm range. I'll have another post later this week as the models hone in on a solution. 

In the long range, the models keep the storm track generally to the east of the Alps. As was the case a few times this season, this track can have a significant impact on the eastern Alps in Austria, and sometimes on the central Alps if the jet stream is just a bit farther west. This type of pattern always bears close watching as minor shifts can have significant ramifications. Additional cold storms are possible in the eastern Alps with this pattern. 

My next post will be on Saturday or Sunday.

Thanks for reading the Europe Daily Snow!

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow

Alps Regions:

NEW: Forecast Range Graphs

You can now view individual forecasts from global and regional high-resolution weather models in OpenSnow. This includes forecasts from the GFS, ECMWF, HRRR, and ICON models, as well as the OpenSnow blend.

The graphs give you a behind-the-scenes look at the forecast and make it easier to see if the forecast models are in tight agreement or if there is a wide range of potential outcomes over the next 10 days.

Note: This is currently only available in the OpenSnow iOS app and website (OpenSnow.com). Android will be available soon.

Getting Started

1. Go to any location screen.
2. Scroll down under "Weather" or "Snow Summary".
3. Tap "View Interactive Chart" in the app.
4. Adjust the model, timeframe, or data view.

Why is the Forecast Range helpful?

Understand if there is high or low confidence in the forecast. If all models show a similar forecast, there is higher confidence in the forecast, and vice versa.

Dig into the details. If you have experience looking at weather model data and trust certain models or higher-resolution models, you'll be able to isolate your favorite data.

View → Forecast Range Graphs