The Nordweststau is similar to the Nordstau, except the winds and jet stream are out of the northwest instead of the north. Refer to the introduction on Alps storm types here. A negative NAO is favorable for the development of the Nordweststau as well. 

You can see this difference in the jet stream and mid-level pressure maps below. 

While some of the areas that see heavy snow from a Nordstau will also do well with the Nordweststau, the heaviest snow is expected from the Mont-Blanc Massif in France to the Arlberg in Austria. The areas favored by the Nordweststau are shown below.

The eastern parts of the Austrian Alps will see much less snow, while a larger part of the French Alps get hammered. 

The Haute-Savoie (Chamonix, Portes du Soleil, Flain), Savoie (3 Valleys, L’Espace Killy), and Isere (Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d’Huez) regions of France typically see the most snow during a Nordweststau. Nidwalde (Engelberg) and the Glarus Alps (Elm, Braunwald) in Switzerland do well while the Nordwestau, as well as the Arlberg (St. Anton, Lech) in Austria.

Another example of a Nordwestau, from February 2022, is shown below. I chased this epic storm all the way from Utah and it was incredible. The Austrian Alps benefitted from the Nordwestau from February 1-2 and 7-8, resulting in 2.5 - 3 m of snow. 

Similar to the Nordstau, a high pressure near or off the coast of Spain, combined with a low-pressure system to the northeast, will produce the northwesterly flow characteristic of the Nordweststau. Check out some more shots of the Nordweststau from February 2022.

The Nordweststau is one of the largest snow producers for the northwestern Alps, while skiers and snowboarders rejoice when this type of storm is mentioned. This storm type has a major influence on the region's climate during the winter months, providing some of the biggest snowstorms every year.

Check out some more shots from the Nordweststau in February 2022.

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow