[Blog] Alps Weather Blog 14th December 2012

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<strong class='bbc'>Alps / Europe Past week </strong><br /><br />The forecast last week suggested a mostly dry week over the Alps and cold or very cold. As ever the following link gives the latest conditions  <a href='http://www.snow-forecast.com/overviews/tips_full' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://www.snow-fore...views/tips_full</a> this seems to suggest that the bas forecast was right at least until Thursday. However much milder weather has swept across the Alps today or tomorrow for much of the Alps.<br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>This week for the Alps in Summary - </strong>Some forecasts are quite easy, when it is turning much colder or when turning much milder, but this week is much trickier to pinpoint, turning milder, but with carting snow levels, and no 2 days re the same,<strong class='bbc'> </strong>with some rain and snow likely to most resorts. The heaviest of the precipitation in the west, and at this stage, most resorts over 1500m are likely to see snow depths rise this week, but snow depths are likely to fall below this due to thaw and more rain than snow.<br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Daily Summaries </strong><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Starting with today's actual synoptic charts </strong>- <br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Temp guide at 850HPa</strong> sub -10c very cold, -5c cold, 0-5c cool, 0 to +5c mild, above +5c very mild<br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Sat 15 December -</strong> There is a large area of High Pressure (1056mb) centred over Russia, with south to South Easterly winds over Eastern Europe, and Northern Scandinavia, very cold here. There is low pressure covering much of the Atlantic, lowest pressure around 970mb to the west of the UK. This is feeding in mild SW winds over the UK and much of Northern and Central Europe, including Southern Scandinavia<strong class='bbc'> and the Alps</strong>. Further South there is High Pressure over Southern Europe as the Azores High ridges eastwards, bringing mild or very mild weather here.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Sun 16 December -</strong> The general pattern very similar, however the air mixing out over Northern and Eastern Europe, turning less cold over much of Scandinavia, and less mild over other parts of North Eastern Europe, this fringing the Alps, so not quite so mild here. The low pressure over Atlantic, weakening, but still rather unsettled and mild over the UK. Further South there is still High Pressure over Southern Europe, bringing mild or very mild weather here.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Mon 17 December -</strong> Synoptically again similar, but the low pressure now over the UK (99mb) and continuing to weaken. Cool over the UK, much of Northern mainland Europe, cold over Scandinavia and over Russia with the High Pressure still strong (1048mb). Still mild over Southern Europe. The Alps in between the cool weather to the North and mild weather to the south, with 850HPA around 0c.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Tue 18 December -</strong> High Pressure continues to dominate over Russia, Eastern Europe and into Scandinavia, so cold or very cold here. Cool over much of Europe with weak low pressure over the low countries. Still mild over Southern Europe, low pressure further east, the Azores high keeping things more settled over Iberia, Pressure also starting to rise over Western parts of the UK, cool in the east, mild in the west.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Wed 19 December -</strong> High Pressure (1052mb) continues to dominate over Russia, Eastern Europe and into Scandinavia, so cold or very cold here. A deep area develops over the Atlantic bringing unsettled conditions and very mild air into Southern parts of the UK. Also turning milder over western parts of mainland Europe, but still cool over Eastern Europe, this divide splitting the Alps in Half.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Towards Weekend -</strong> The High Pressure Over Russia remains a constant, so very cold here and into Scandinavia, cool also over Eastern Europe. The Azores High staring to ridge back into Southern parts of the UK,  and cooler again after the mild weather of midweek. As has been often the case this week, the Alps very much in between weather systems.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Alps Weather</strong><br /><br />After recent consistently very cold weather. There is set to be far more of a variation in snow level throughout the week, so very much worth looking at up to date forecasts.<br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Sat 15 December - </strong>Unsettled overnight with some heavy precipitation more especially over SW Germany, NW Switzerland and into France, but general precipitation over Western parts of the Alps. By noon, the precipitation becoming moderate of much of the Alps, but drier in Austria.  By evening everything transfers east, drier over the western Alps , but heavy precipitation over Austria. Snow Levels midnight around 2000m-2200m, 6am 1500m-1800m, noon 1400-1600m NW and 2200-2200m SE, 6pm 1000-1200m NW and 1700-2000m SE<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Sun 16 December - </strong><strong class='bbc'>O</strong><strong class='bbc'>vernight sees the precipitation moves away to the east, but showers always continuing in western areas. </strong>These continuing into the afternoon and becoming more widespread, before retreating back to western areas by evening. Snow Levels 1200m morning and evening, closer to 1600m mid afternoon.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Mon 17 December - </strong><strong class='bbc'>Further precipitation in western areas for much of the day, some of it heavy at times, especially on the Swiss French border, </strong>Further east generally drier but the odd shower cannot be ruled out anywhere. Snow Levels 800m-1000m generally, up to 1000m-1200m mid afternoon.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Tue 18 December - </strong>A colder start for the Alps, with the freezing level at 200-400m in the east, Further Precipitation for western parts of the Alps during the day, this spreading to more central areas by afternoon. Snow Levels around 1000-1200m.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Wed 19 December -</strong> At this stage looking like the driest day on the week, with some moderate precipitation in central areas moving into Austria later being the only notable precipitation.  A very notable temperature contrasts, Freezing level over 2000m in far west, 800m-1200m elsewhere.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong class='bbc'>Looking Ahead - </strong>At this stage dry on Thursday but milder, with freezing level over 2000m in places, but 600-800m over Austria., Friday looks rather unsettled again from the west, at this stage freezing levels around 1400-1600m.

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