[b]Overview[/b]

[url="http://www.snow-forecast.com/overviews/tips_full"]http://www.snow-fore...views/tips_full[/url]

After recent snow in the last couple of weeks, great conditions continue over many areas in the Alps, looking a bit drier next week, with plenty of sunshine hopefully on offer.

[b]Synoptic Summary[/b]

[attachment=161164:15 Feb Actual.JPG]

To start the weekend there is a surface Greenland High (1032mb), with low pressure in the Atlantic and High Pressure over much of Europe giving cool winds over the Alps and SW winds for the UK.
Over the weekend and into next week, the general pattern shows little change however the orientation of the High Pressure over Europe moves around changing wind direction and source of the air for Europe, into the Alps and over the UK.

[attachment=161163:16 Feb.JPG]
[attachment=161162:17 Feb.JPG]

By Monday the wind direction turns around to more of a SE over the UK, with still generally mild wind here, further west over Europe more of an Easterly/North Easterly flow and generally cold air.

[attachment=161161:18 Alps.JPG]

Tuesday sees High Pressure build over Scandinavia and with low pressure over Northern mainland Europe a very cold NE flow starts to set in here. Over subsequent days this low pressure system is to push further south giving a E to NE flow over the Alps and over to the UK.

[attachment=161154:19 Feb.JPG]
[attachment=161159:20 Feb.JPG]

The general pattern of this is now quite likely but still with significant variations in the coldness of the air.
By Friday the winds turn round to more a SE flow as low pressure attempt to nudge in from the SW, at least according to GFS. Other models have the cold easterly flow being more likely to hold on.

[attachment=161155:21 Feb.JPG]
[attachment=161165:22 Feb.JPG]

[b][font=Calibri","sans-serif]Alps Summary[/font][/b]

[b][font=Calibri","sans-serif]Sat 16 February[/font][/b]

[font=Calibri","sans-serif]A very cold start to the day with freezing levels widely down to 0-200m at 6am, at this time some patchy snow showers over Western Austria and fringing southern parts of Germany. These showers largely dying out during the afternoon and evening. [/font]

Freezing Level (noon) Southern Germany 600-800m, French Alps 800-1500m (NW to SE), Switzerland 600-1400m (N to S), Italian Alps 1100-1400m, Austria 600m-1300m ( E to W)

[attachment=161150:16 Feb Alps.JPG]

[b][font=Calibri","sans-serif]Sun 17 February[/font][/b]
[font=Calibri","sans-serif]A very cold start to the day with freezing levels widely down to 0-200m, a little less cold over parts of Italy at 6am. [/font]
[font=Calibri","sans-serif]Mostly dry again, with possibly a few light showers developing during the afternoon. [/font]

Freezing Level (noon) Southern Germany 600-800m, French Alps 800-1400m (NW to SE), Switzerland 600-1400m (N to S), Italian Alps 800-1400m, Austria 300m-1200m ( E to W)

[attachment=161149:17 Feb Alps.JPG]

[b][font=Calibri","sans-serif]Mon 18 February[/font][/b]
[font=Calibri","sans-serif]The settled spell continues with most places staying dry, very cold everywhere again early and late. [/font]
Freezing Level (noon) Southern Germany 600-1000m, French Alps 1000-1400m (NW to SE), Switzerland 700-1400m (N to S), Italian Alps 800-1400m, Austria 200m-1400m ( E to SW)

[attachment=161148:18 Feb Alps.JPG]

[b][font=Calibri","sans-serif]Tue 19 February[/font][/b]
[font=Calibri","sans-serif]A dry day today for Switzerland, France and Western parts of Germany and Italy. However patchy precipitation edging south over Southern Germany and Northern Austria during the morning and early afternoon, with showers for Eastern Germany and other parts of Austria later in the day. Snow generally above 1000m. [/font]

Freezing Level (noon) Southern Germany 600-1200m, French Alps 1400-1800m (NW to SE), Switzerland 1000-1800m (N to S), Italian Alps 800-1800m, Austria 400m-1600m ( E to SW)

[attachment=161147:19 Feb Alps.JPG]

[b][font=Calibri","sans-serif]Wed 20 February[/font][/b]
Showery outbreaks continuing for Austria during the day, perhaps heavier towards SE parts during the afternoon, largely dry elsewhere over the Alps.

Freezing Level (noon) Southern Germany 400-800m, French Alps 1000m (W)-1600m (E), Switzerland 600m (NE) -1600m (S) , Italian Alps 900-1600m, Austria 400m (NW) -1400m (SW).

[attachment=161146:20 Feb Alps.JPG]

[b][font=Calibri","sans-serif]Thurs 21 February to Friday 22 February[/font][/b]
[font=Calibri","sans-serif]Largely dry for the most part but GFS goes for precipitation edging in from the west during Friday. [/font]
[font=Calibri","sans-serif]Thursday sees freezing levels very similar to Wednesday, but Friday might be a little bit milder from the west. [/font][attachment=161150:16 Feb Alps.JPG]

[attachment=161145:21 Feb Alps.JPG]
[attachment=161144:22 Feb Alps.JPG]