2023-11-29 20:30:28
December has yet to start, but winter weather is already in full swing in the Alps. That is good news for winter sports enthusiasts. There is already a significant layer of snow in many places, even more than in recent years at the start of the meteorological winter. As a result, several ski areas have already opened their lifts. Tomorrow there will be temporary rain in the Western Alps up to an altitude of 2000 meters, but higher up the snow layer will thicken even further. There is less snow in the Southern Alps for the time being, but a real snow dump is planned there later this week.
The past few weeks have been relatively cold in the Alps with regular snow. This allowed a heavy snow layer to build up, especially on the north side of the mountain range. There is already more than at the start of winter in recent years. Due to these excellent conditions, several ski areas have already opened their lifts in recent days and weeks and accelerated openings are even planned for other areas.
Ventusky
@Ventuskycom
This content contains cookies from social media or other external platforms. Because you have disabled these cookies, this content remains hidden. Accept cookies from social media to still display the content.
The fresh snow is not only good news for the winter sports areas, but also for the glaciers. After another very negative year for the Alpine glaciers, the hydrological year (which starts on October 1) has gotten off to a good start this time. Many glaciers currently have more snow than average at the end of November.
More snow in the coming days with snow dump
After a dry and sunny Wednesday, a new frontal system with precipitation will approach the Alps on Thursday. Because the wind turns to the southwest, it becomes a lot milder, especially in Switzerland and France. The Alps will therefore have to deal with an air mass boundary, with the northeast experiencing colder air and the southwest with milder air. Unfortunately, this results in rain up to 2000 meters in the French and Western Swiss Alps.
Read more below the image
Particularly in the Western and Northwestern Alps, a lot of precipitation can fall on Thursday, up to more than 50 mm. Higher up, a lot of snow falls, and below 2000 m also rain. In the extreme southwest even 100 mm can fall. © wxcharts
It will remain colder in Austria and Italy, but precipitation will be less intense here on Thursday. In the evening and night into Friday, the snow line will decrease again from the northwest. The winter sports villages that initially experience rain will be covered with a layer of snow again by Friday morning.
On Friday during the day, the area of rain and snow will move further east. At the same time, most weather models predict the formation of a low-pressure area over Italy. This could increase the temperature differences even more. Combined with moisture from the Mediterranean, this is the ideal recipe for significant rainfall, especially in the south-eastern Alps such as the Dolomites and Carinthia. In this part of the Alps, where little snow has fallen so far, 50 cm to locally even 1 meter of snow may fall on Friday and Saturday. Significant amounts of snow are also possible in Slovenia.
Read more below the image
The Southeastern Alps will experience a dump of snow on Friday and Saturday © wxcharts
Closer by, there is already plenty of snow in the Ardennes, the Sauerland and the Vosges. There is 10 to 15 cm on the High Fens and the toboggan run of Baraque Fraiture is open. In Ovifat the snow cannons have been activated to open the ski slope there.
WEATHER FORECAST. Please note that the roads may also be slippery this evening and tonight
Was this autumn really that cold, gray and wet? This is what the figures say: “The autumn of 2023 was head and shoulders above the rest in one area”
Northeastern Europe is bracing for extreme cold: do we also expect snow and frost this week?
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss anything from the stars.
Yes, I want free unlimited access
#Possibly #highest #snow #cover #years #start #winter #Alps #expect #meter #snow #locally #week #Instagram #VTM #NEWS