Europe's Snowiest Area?

[Isolated Frost]

After my annual youtube video watch of recent winters here in the UK, I wondered where in Europe is snowiest: mountainous and low-lying.

Here's my guess, but it's definitely a guess - anyone have any data, or good thoughtful estimations to which is snowiest?

Mountainous:

1. Norway-Sweden border straddling northern Scandinavian mtns.

2. The Alps (especially higher Swiss ones)

3. The Dolomites (especially Italian)

4. The Scottish Highlands

5. The Carpathians

Low-lying:

1. East coast of Sweden (sea-effect snow in early winter)

2. Lappland (the early snows)

3. Northern Norwegian coast (proximity again)

4. Northern German coast and Danish islands (easterly and northerly water presence)

5. East coast of UK (North Sea)

Any help please? Thanks

[Alex95]

I believe it is Chamonix in the French Alps (Or another Alpine town?) - Northern Europe is often drier than Central Europe, and at ~1200m a lot of that falls as snow. The average January temperature is -1°C, and I read somewhere that the annual snowfall is over 400cm.

If it wasn't so hard to move to USA/Canada I'd probably end up somewhere in the path of Nor'Easters, or where lake effect snow occurs in the Great Lakes region. Syracuse in Upstate New York gets at least one 50cm snowfall every year, usually 2 or 3!

Edited October 8, 2011 by alza

[Isolated Frost]

I believe it is Chamonix in the French Alps (Or another Alpine town?) - Northern Europe is often drier than Central Europe, and at ~1200m a lot of that falls as snow. The average January temperature is -1°C, and I read somewhere that the annual snowfall is over 400cm.

If it wasn't so hard to move to USA/Canada I'd probably end up somewhere in the path of Nor'Easters, or where lake effect snow occurs in the Great Lakes region. Syracuse in Upstate New York gets at least one 50cm snowfall every year, usually 2 or 3!

Yes parts of upstate New York get 250cm or more each year!

I'd imagine that Chamonix is very high up, so is basically mountainous region stuff. I was thinking 0-400m asl for low-lying snow.

[fine wine]

Bornholm did pretty well last winter and its basically at sea level. That said, last winter was pretty exceptional. http://www.swedishwire.com/nordic/7860-snow-bound-danish-island-of-bornholm-calls-for-help-

[Derbyshire_snow]

Yes parts of upstate New York get 250cm or more each year!

I'd imagine that Chamonix is very high up, so is basically mountainous region stuff. I was thinking 0-400m asl for low-lying snow.

There is a good guide to the Snowiest Places in the USA and Canada here http://www.simonseeks.com/blog/giant-snowdrifts-worlds-snowiest-places

[knocker]

There is a good guide to the Snowiest Places in the USA and Canada here http://www.simonseek...snowiest-places

Just popped in but considering the thread title I'm quite intrigued.

[Isolated Frost]

Thanks for that d_s but I'm specifically looking for European snow

What's Europe's snowiest country aswell? Norway or Sweden I'd imagine. Or perhaps Iceland? And the snowiest town/city and snowiest capital? So many questions, sorry, I was just quite interested in the subject.

Snowiest town/city possibly Tromso, Kiruna, Akureyri. Capital either Stockholm, Helsinki or Edinburgh (scottish independence and that )

[beautifulcakebakes]

have you googled your question?

might get an answer that way?

[Coopsy]

I think the places that have huge amounts of snow that dont melt are pretty spectacular. Here last winter we had over 12 feet of snow but never more than 2 feet on the ground at a time due to melts etc

[Aaron]

Thanks for that d_s but I'm specifically looking for European snow

What's Europe's snowiest country aswell? Norway or Sweden I'd imagine. Or perhaps Iceland? And the snowiest town/city and snowiest capital? So many questions, sorry, I was just quite interested in the subject.

Snowiest town/city possibly Tromso, Kiruna, Akureyri. Capital either Stockholm, Helsinki or Edinburgh (scottish independence and that )

Helsinki, Finland is the snowiest capital city in Europe (excluding Russia), it has an average of 101 days of snow cover, followed by Stockholm, Sweden (95 days) and Oslo, Norway (80 days)

Not so sure about the actual amount of snow falling though, as cities in Europe tend not to record historical snowfall like North America.

Edited November 12, 2011 by Aaron

[Coast]

Damis in Austria:

the village of Damls in the Austrian Alps was officially named the World's Snowiest Village with an average of 9.3 metres of snow per year. Damls sits at an altitude of between 1430 and 2100 metres in the Northern Alps and receives such an incredible amount of snow due to stalled weather patterns behind the mountains. The consistent and massive snowfall makes the town an incredibly popular ski destination with 93km of ski runs, 22 lifts, 16 cross-country ski trails, 22.5km of winter hiking trails and a 3.5km natural toboggan run. It really is a beautiful place.

http://www.yousaytoo...t-places/202457

Here's why the American's enjoy more snow:

Surprisingly, no European resorts make Bestsnow's chart. According to Tony Crocker, the site's editor and founder, the Alps have a geographical disadvantage to the mountains of North America. "Snow does not fall in the same quantities in Europe, where the mountains are oriented more east-to-west," he says. "In North America, particularly with the Cascades, Wasatch, Tetons and the Sierra-Nevada Range, the mountains run north-south, creating giant buffers where clouds run into land and dump snow." In fact, other than Niseko in Japan, North American resorts claim every other position on the list.

http://www.msnbc.msn...d/#.Tr48i_Tz2so

[I remember Atlantic 252]

I think the places that have huge amounts of snow that dont melt are pretty spectacular. Here last winter we had over 12 feet of snow but never more than 2 feet on the ground at a time due to melts etc

cor, they are impressive snow stats! 67cms in May! although 1315m asl

[MeteoMadrid]

I know that for European people Spain is the land of party and hot temperatures, but it is totally false.

In the mountains of the Sistema Central, in the west part of these mountains (mountains with 2200-2500masl) we have so much Snow sometimes 450cm, and in the Sierra Nevada (Mountains among 3000-3400 masl, South of the country) we usually have more than 400cm and some years more than 6 meters.

Pirineos (with more than 3000masl and Cordillera Cantabrica (it is close to the sea, with elevation about 2500 and 2600 masl) have high Snow levels..some years more than 6 or 7 meters.

Greatings from Madrid

[Ferreiro]

Thanks for that d_s but I'm specifically looking for European snow

What's Europe's snowiest country aswell? Norway or Sweden I'd imagine. Or perhaps Iceland? And the snowiest town/city and snowiest capital? So many questions, sorry, I was just quite interested in the subject.

Snowiest town/city possibly Tromso, Kiruna, Akureyri. Capital either Stockholm, Helsinki or Edinburgh (scottish independence and that )

Edimburgh? That's an absurd. Ok, last winter was snowy there, but any other capital of Central or Eastern Europe has more days of snow than Edinburgh. Vienna, Bucharest, Warsaw, Sofia, Sarajevo, etc.

I know that for European people Spain is the land of party and hot temperatures, but it is totally false.

In the mountains of the Sistema Central, in the west part of these mountains (mountains with 2200-2500masl) we have so much Snow sometimes 450cm, and in the Sierra Nevada (Mountains among 3000-3400 masl, South of the country) we usually have more than 400cm and some years more than 6 meters.

Pirineos (with more than 3000masl and Cordillera Cantabrica (it is close to the sea, with elevation about 2500 and 2600 masl) have high Snow levels..some years more than 6 or 7 meters.

Greatings from Madrid

Some years it can snow a lot, but usually does not snow so much, and some years there is little snow. Last year most of the ski resorts just managed to open a few days.

Edited November 14, 2011 by Ferreiro