[size=4][font=arial][b]Alps Overview[/b]

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

Another good week for the Alps with further fresh snow and low temperatures keeping the snow in good conditions.



[size=4][b]Synoptic Patterns [/b] [/size]

[size=4]Extensive Northern Blocking pattern at the moment with a Greenland High at 1056mb, with 1040mb right the way through to Norway, feeding bitter air over Eastern Scandinavia and into Eastern Europe. And westwards over parts of Northern Britain, this general pattern never really changes with the colder air covering all of the UK from around Monday to Friday. [/size]

[size=4]Today also sees. a low pressure system centred to the South West of the UK, which has caused very heavy snowfall over Central parts of the UK and heavy rainfall for more southern areas (where it has been milder with SW winds). South Easterly winds are in place for the Alps, which never seems to tap into the coldest air this week, and with the coldest air the further north and East you go. However there is generally low pressure, which is the reason for the showers, which tend to develop more especially into the afternoon.[/size]

[size=4][attachment=166315:23 Mar.JPG][/size]

[size=4]By Monday, High pressure remains dominant over Northern latitudes with an easterly flow over northern mainland Europe and over the UK, feeding in unseasonably cold air. [/size]

[size=4][attachment=166314:25 Mar.JPG][/size]

[size=4]By midweek, the general pattern remains in place for, with easterly winds all the way from Western Russia all the way to Canada, classic reverse zonality. Bitterly cold air over the UK, cool over the alps, again the coldest air reserve for the far NE of the Alps, more especially SE Germany, and NE Austria. [/size]

[size=4][attachment=166313:27 Mar.JPG][/size]

[size=4]Towards the weekend signs that low pressure will attempt to push in over the UK form the SW (more especially from the GFS model), but this is not really supported by the other models. For the Alps, GFS forecasts low pressure pushing in from Franc and Spain and pushing east across the Alps bring precipitation Thursday/Friday. [/size]

[size=4][attachment=166312:29 Mar.JPG]


[b]Alps Detail[/b]

[b]Sat 23 March[/b]
Some precipitation to start the day over the far west but this largely dying out during the afternoon. Conversely morning showers over Southern Switzerland, becoming more widespread for The French Alps, parts of Northern Italy, SW Austria and continuing for Southern Switzerland.

Not for the first time a North East South West split in the temperature profile, much colder the further North East you go. Freezing Level (3pm) Southern Germany 600m-1800m (E to W), French Alps 1800-2100m, Switzerland 1800-2100m, Italian Alps 1500m-2100m (E to W), Austria 400m-2100m (NE to SW), with in each case the coldest of the air reserved for the far east of the respective countries.

[attachment=166322:23 Mar Alps.JPG]

[b]Sun 24 March[/b]
A North South Split over the Alps to start the day, dry for Germany, and for Central and Northern parts of both Austria and Switzerland further south though some precipitation fringing Southern areas of Austria and Switzerland into the French Alps with widespread precipitation for Northern Italy. Not much changing in the pattern through the day, with some large precipitation totals around the Milan area, with some moderate precipitation into S Switzerland especially around Zermatt.

Freezing Level (3pm) Southern Germany 600m-1800m (E to W), French Alps 1800-2100m, Switzerland 1800-2100m, Italian Alps 1400m-1800m (E to W), Austria 400m-1800m (NE to SW), with the colder air now covering a greater area in SE Germany and E Austria.

[attachment=166321:24 Mar Alps.JPG]

[b]Mon 25 March[/b]
More of a messy picture is forecast for Monday, colder air is digging in for Germany from the North bring some precipitation here, precipitation also continuing for southern parts of the Alps during the morning. During the afternoon this squeezing, so precipitation possible just about anywhere, but still concentrated more over southern areas.

Freezing Level (3pm) Southern Germany 600-1000m (E to W), French Alps 1300-1800m (NW to SE), Switzerland 1000-2000m (NW to SE), Italian Alps 1200-2000m (E to W), Austria 400m-2000m (NE to SW).

[attachment=166320:25 Mar Alps.JPG]

[b]Tue 26 March[/b]
More general precipitation over the Alps to start Tuesday, the Austria Switzerland border the areas with the heaviest bursts, this continuing through the day, but gradually turning drier over Switzerland.

Colder than recently with Freezing Levels (3pm) Southern Germany 400-800m, French Alps 1200-1800m (NW to SE), Switzerland 800-1800m (NW to SE), Italian Alps 1000-1800m (E to W), Austria 400m-1400m (NE to SW).

[attachment=166319:26 Mar Alps.JPG]

[b]Wed 27 March[/b]
The precipitation continuing overnight from Austria and falling widely as snow, drying up by morning, but afternoon showers tending to brew up once again, with southern areas the most likely to catch one.

Freezing Level (3pm) Southern Germany 800-1600m (N to S), French Alps 1800-2100m (NW to SE), Switzerland 1600-1800m (NW to SE), Italian Alps 1200-1400m, Austria 400m-1800m (NE to SW).

[attachment=166318:27 Mar Alps.JPG]

[b]28 March and 29 March [/b]

At this stage, tuning unsettled from the South West, with some heavy precipitation edging in for Western areas on the Thursday and this moving into the east for the Friday, but a lot of uncertainty this far out.

[attachment=166317:28 Mar Alps.JPG]

[attachment=166316:29 Mar Alps.JPG][/size]