Snow Overviews

France

Updated 20/12

The timeline for Christmas week snow is accelerated massively as a huge, dense area of low pressure gets swept in on the Jetstream to cover much of central and northern Europe as the weekend continues. Temperatures will remain cold through this weekend, with a freezing line dropping to 500m on Sunday and, as a result temperatures of -10°C being the norm.

Snow will first arrive in flurries on Saturday, but it is Sunday where things really shift through the gears. At least half-a-metre of snow is expected down, across all elevations as the freezing line falls away, continuing on into Monday when an additional 15cm can be expected. The avalanche risk is already expected to tick up in many areas across France, with a Level 4 – High danger expected from Sunday onwards, with notes for persistent weak layer and wind loading problems. Care should be taken when skiing in the backcountry and careful route planning should be undertaken.

Things are expected to settle down as the Christmas week continues, with Christmas Day itself expected to be fine, dry and bright, albeit remaining fairly cold and fresh. Some beautiful riding conditions are perhaps in store over the Christmas and New Year’s period.

Switzerland

Updated 20/12

The timeline for Christmas week snow is accelerated massively as a huge, dense area of low pressure gets swept in on the Jetstream to cover much of central and northern Europe as the weekend continues. Temperatures will remain cold through this weekend, with a freezing line dropping to 500m on Sunday and, as a result temperatures of -10°C being the norm at 2,000m.

Snow will first arrive in flurries on Saturday, but, in the west of the country, it is Sunday where things really shift through the gears. At least a foot of snow is expected down at Zermatt, initially over higher ground only thanks to a rare uptick in the freezing line, but eventually reaching all elevations as the freezing line falls away, continuing on into Monday when an additional 20cmcan be expected.

In the east of the region, things will turn slightly bonkers. This same Sunday snowfall falls as half-a-metre in most places and, instead of drying up as the new week begins, it will continue to fall across Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (Christmas day), too. A further 45cm can be expected down on Monday and another 30cm on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Expect the avalanche risk to tick up to High or Very High (4 or 5) over the coming days as a result. Unfortunately whiterisk.ch don’t forecast in advance like the French do, so it is difficult to ascertain with any certainty what it might do. Please check your local forecasts carefully using the links below and plan any backcountry and off piste travel carefully in the coming days.

Austria

Updated 20/12

The timeline for Christmas week snow is accelerated massively as a huge, dense area of low pressure gets swept in on the Jetstream to cover much of central and northern Europe as the weekend continues. Temperatures will remain cold through this weekend, with a freezing line dropping to 500m on Sunday and, as a result temperatures of -10°C being the norm at 2,000m.

In the west of the region, things will turn slightly bonkers. Sunday snowfall falls as half-a-metre in most places and, instead of drying up as the new week begins, it will continue to fall across Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (Christmas day), too. A further 45cm can be expected down on Monday and another 30cm on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Resorts further east and south may struggle to see this same snowfall, especially on Sunday and into Monday, as it struggles to make the leap over the Main Alpine Ridge. Christmas Eve snowfall, however, will remain excellent across the board, with 40cm expected in these areas.

Expect the avalanche risk to tick up to High or Very High (4 or 5) over the coming days as a result. Unfortunately avalanche.report doesn’t forecast in advance like the French do, so it is difficult to ascertain with any certainty what it might do – however current risk are being reported as persistent weak layers, which can cause ongoing difficulties with avalanche risk associated with new snow. Please check your local forecasts carefully using the links below and plan any backcountry and off piste travel carefully in the coming days.

Italy

Updated 20/12

A really, really mixed bag is in store this weekend for Italian resorts, with some areas benefiting from a ramp up of winter conditions right before winter, others not enjoying quite the same fate by dint of geography.

The southwest will see a fairly standard pattern, temperatures falling as the weekend progresses and getting some good snowfall making it over the Main Alpine Ridge from France. Sauze d’Oulx will see around 15cm of snow on Sunday, enough to give it a really good boost just before the start of the Christmas week. Cloud and cold conditions will continue, with the occasional flurry of snowfall to freshen things up over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself.

Cervinia and the high ground of the Aosta Valley will be best placed to capture this upcoming snowfall, with a foot expected down on Sunday and then again across Monday and Tuesday combined. This will fall across all elevations as the freezing line remains firmly rooted to around 500m elevation. Christmas Day itself is expected to be fine, dry and bright, with cold temperatures and plenty of sun, making for near-perfect riding conditions after the previous snowfall!

Finally, in the Dolomites, a much calmer, brighter weekend and Christmas week is in store – but this does come at the cost of missing out on snowfall. High pressure will remain dominant, meaning sun will be present on Saturday and again in the new week, interspersed with cloud cover and flurries of snow. This won’t really be much to register on a snowstick at all, most of the snow here getting stuck on the Austria side of the Main Alpine Ridge.

Germany

Updated 20/12

After a settled start to the weekend, Germany will join the rest of the Alps in the festival of snow that is spreading to most corners of the continent on Sunday and into the Christmas week.

The freezing line will plummet on Sunday, with daytime highs of -5°C expected at 1,000m, as a large, dense area of low pressure moves in and camps out over central and northern Europe. This will bring plenty of snowfall which, thanks to these cold temperatures, will fall against most elevations.

Snow will start on Sunday, with 15cm expected down across the German Alps, before continuing on through Monday, Tuesday and into Christmas Day itself; a further 50cm will fall steadily over this period, providing a real boost to Alpine conditions ahead of Christmas skiing.

Expect the avalanche forecast to tick up as the week continues, with new snow fall on persistent weak layers and being wind driven, too. Check your local avalanche forecast carefully, and plan any backcountry and off piste travel carefully.

Spain & Andorra

Updated 20/12

Determined not to miss out of the good conditions in store for much of the rest of Europe, the Pyrenees gets in on the snowy action, too, albeit a little patience is a virtue in the case of southern French, Andorran and northern Spanish resorts.

The weekend is expected to remain steady, with a mix of cloud and few floccons of snow intermingled with cool-to-mild temperatures throughout, ticking up to positive at mid-mountain on Sunday. This will change as the new week begins, the freezing line dropping and with it, so too the temperature; overnight lows of -20°C at 2,000m possible at times.

Low pressure and unsettled weather over much of the rest of Europe will bring snow to the Pyrenees, with 20cm falling overnight Sunday into Monday to begin the Christmas Week. Things will settle down again as Christmas comes and goes, some light cloud cover and floccons of snow giving way to fine, dry and bright conditions later in the week as high pressure once more returns.

Links – Spain

Links – Andorra

Eastern Europe

Updated 20/12

A mixed albeit steady enough weekend and Christmas week is in store for Eastern Europe and the Balkans over this period. Temperatures will remain cold in both the southerly and northerly extremes, enough to bring good bursts of snowfall throughout. Bulgarian resorts will see 10cm down on Saturday, followed by a further 15cm expected overnight Monday into Tuesday – cloud cover will dominate, although Sunday will see a burst of sunshine as high pressure and resultant fine, dry and bright conditions move through the region.

Elsewhere, a cold weekend stays dry for Slovakia, before a few flurries of snow come down over Sunday to keep things fresh. Things will turn mild for the area over Christmas day itself, with plenty of sunshine on the way, too. Finally, Romanian ski areas remain stuck with mild conditions following a burst of snow on Saturday; this will, however, bring with it plenty of snow on higher ground over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with a foot expected down over this time.

Useful Links – Bulgaria

Useful Links – Other Eastern Europe

Scotland

Updated 20/12

Damp and mild conditions suddenly break as the new weekend begins, with overnight temperatures plummeting to -15°C in parts overnight Saturday into Sunday. This will bring with it really good snowfall across the highlands, with upwards of 20cm expected down over the West Coast and a good 10cm further inland. Accompanied by high winds, there is a good deal of uncertainty as to how much of this will be able to stick around.

As Christmas Week begins, things turn mild, with positive temperatures returning across the Highlands. On the West Coast, things remain damp, with continuous shots of rain continuing throughout the week. The Grampians, however, will remain much dryer over this same period.

Scandinavia

Updated 20/12

A cold but steady week is in store for much of Scandinavia over this period; more southerly coastal regions will see a flurry of milder conditions over the weekend but things turning significantly colder the more inland and north you head.

Despite sitting at the heart of the low pressure area that is bringing more unsettled weather and, importantly, snow to much of the Alps and Central Europe, the region won’t see too much of it itself; a few flurries across southerly resorts over the weekend, and some steady floccons over Northern Finland and the upper reaches of Norway.

Useful Links

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Japan

Updated 20/12

A low pressure area will form over the Home Islands themselves as the weekend progresses, creating unsettled conditions and snow for much of the region. Temperatures on Hokkaido will remain cold, with -15°C overnight as the norm for this weekend and into the Christmas week. Steady snowfall will begin on Saturday evening and continue until midday on Tuesday, depositing about a foot of snow over this period. Christmas day will turn ever so slightly milder – although remaining cold – with a few more flurries to follow in the evening.

Further south, really good snow comes to Honshu but this is met with varying temperatures to give more mixed conditions than on Hokkaido. Sunday will be big, with 50cm of snow falling and temperatures dropping considerably, but expect this to continue as temperatures vary but the snow doesn’t stop – another foot down overnight Monday to Tuesday, and another foot down on Boxing Day.

USA

Updated 20/12

A slow and steady season looks to be on the cards for the USA, with continental high pressure continuing to box out influxes of low pressure off the Pacific keeping things generally mild and dry for this period. The Left Coast itself – including PNW and Sierras – will see temperatures at mid-mountain hovering around freezing, with a few bursts of snow coming in at times. This will be felt the best in the PNW, where Sunday and Monday could see about 10cm down.

Further inland, high pressure dominates, keeping things cold but otherwise fine, dry and bright for the Rockies and Tetons.

Out East, a bitterly cold snap moves through the region accompanied by a few floccons to keep things fresh over the weekends, with overnight lows of -30°C (-22°C) possible. Things improve as the Christmas week begins, with more sunshine and less cloud in store for this period, and temperatures climbing albeit staying cold – just less cold than the weekend!

Canada

Updated 20/12

Whilst high pressure dominates most inland areas this weekend and into the Christmas week, a flurry of activity sneaking its way down from the North brings surprisingly good conditions to the Coastal Ranges this week. Temperatures will hang around just about the right side of freezing at mid-mountain level, with almost continuous flurries of snow bringing steady accumulation for many areas. Whistler could see up to a foot down over this weekend and up to and including Christmas Eve, with more on its way immediately following.

Elsewhere, dominating high pressure leaves things cold, sunny and dry, with very little snowfall expected to the left of the Great Plains.

On the St Lawrence, a bitterly cold albeit dry weekend is in store, with plenty of sunshine on Sunday to make for fine skiing conditions. Expect overnight lows to hit -30°C at times, before improving as the Christmas week continues. Another flurry of snow will move in Monday evening which can be expected to freshen things up well.