The storm has arrived in the Pyrenees, with heavy snow falling on Sunday morning. This will continue in the Pyrenees for much of the day, with snow levels falling from ~ 2000 m to around 1700 m. Most resorts will see some rain or mix at lower elevations prior to the cold front. 

The action moves over to the Alps later on Sunday, initially in the southwestern Italian Alps courtesy of the southeast flow. As the storm moves a little bit to the east, winds will turn more southwesterly in the southern French Alps, spreading the heavy snow into this area. With persistent southerly winds we will see snow in most of the Italian Alps and the southern Swiss Alps as well. Overall, most areas will not see more than 18 - 24 hours of snow. 

Still, with the high snowfall rates we should see a 25 - 50 cm over a wide area of the southern/western Alps, with 30 - 60 cm possible in the Italian Alps and into the southern Swiss Alps along the border. Much of the southern French Alps will see 25 - 50 cm with 30 - 60 cm in the Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes de Haute Provence. Along the France/Italy border in the northern French Alps 25 - 50 cm is possible in the Valle d'Aosta, with totals dropping off fast farther west. 

The northern side of the Alps will experience drying downscoping winds which will limit totals. Most of the northern Alps and northern French Alps should see less than 10 cm, though the Bern region could sneak out some bigger totals in the 10 - 20 cm range.

Below are the latest snow forecasts for the Alps and Pyrenees from the high-resolution WRF model.

These maps are expected snow totals through Tuesday, but as mentioned, we will see additional periods of snow through the rest of the week if not longer. Most of this looks light to moderate but there are some signs of heavier snow in the Italian Alps between Wednesday and Friday. I think we need to give the models another day or two since the models don't agree. This is definitely something to keep an eye on. 

I expect a trough to remain over southwestern Europe for the next seven to ten days. Additional areas of low pressure will move in from the west and northeast to keep this general pattern going. As long as the low pressure remains near/over Spain, the southern Alps will have additional chances for snow. It's too early to say if any of these will bring more than light to moderate snow, but it is definitely possible. Overall though, temperatures remain a bit on the warm side for this period.

My next post will be on Monday.

Thanks for reading the Europe Daily Snow!

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow

NEW: Forecast Snowfall Maps

Visualize the snow forecast in 2D or 3D for the next 6, 12, and 24 hours, along with total snowfall for the next 10 days, for any location in the United States and southern Canada.

The maps are made with our internal blend of high-resolution weather forecast data, including our proprietary snow-to-liquid ratio algorithm that is specifically made for complex, mountain terrain.

Getting Started

1. Tap the "Maps" tab.
2. Tap the overlay button.
3. Tap "Forecast Snowfall".
4. Scrub the bottom slider.

What are the main use cases for the forecast snowfall maps?

Get an easy-to-use visualization of the snow forecast for your favorite locations, check the timing of upcoming storms to catch the deepest turns or to avoid snowy road conditions, and see which ski resorts are favored for the deepest snow totals.

Are there any limitations to the forecast snowfall maps?

The forecast snowfall maps count "mixed precipitation" as "snow" so the maps could show more snow in areas that are getting sleet or freezing rain, along with where the rain/snow line is difficult to forecast. Double-check any location by tapping the map for the forecast details.

View → Forecast Snowfall Maps