[Blog] Alps Weather Forecast 13 February 2015

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Summary

Some great conditions to go skiing in recent days, with warm sunshine, this has had an impact on slopes especially lower down, and fresh powder becoming difficult to find.

Synoptics

The weekend starts with Low pressure over the UK and this feeding in SW winds for the Alps on its eastward edge. Over the weekend, the low Pressure moving closer to the Alps, making things increasingly unsettled. 850Hpa temps generally just below freezing.

Remaining unsettled to start next week, with low pressure never too far off the scene with winds from a general southerly direction. However signs of a change for Tuesday with High Pressure ridging up from the Azores.

The mid part to the end of next week sees High Pressure becoming increasingly dominant as the ridge of High Pressure from the Azores builds and becomes centred over mainland Europe/ Winds Easterly perhaps veering North Easterly by the end of Friday, with 850HoPa temps above zero for a time.

Precipitation

Very much a split this week, Austria looks mostly dry, with Northern and Eastern areas completely dry.

For the South and West of the Alps, showery precipitation for much of Saturday. Showery to start Sunday, however a more organised area of precipitation developing Sunday evening for Western Italy, Southern Switzerland and fringing the French Alps. This is set to continue through Monday, before becoming more showery into Tuesday. The snow level 1200-1400m perhaps a bit higher around midday Monday.

Snow amounts are always difficult to confirm With http://www.onthesnow.co.uk/skireport.html on the snow forecasting over 1m of snow in places over the next 3 days.

While this accumulated "rainfall" suggests over 4 inches of rainfall in place, which confirms the above.

Temps

Sat – 400-800m Far East of Austria, 1000-1400m elsewhere, 1600-1800m on the Austria/Switzerland border

Sun – 1200-1400m most of Alps, 1600-2000m SE Germany, parts of N/NW Austria, possibly due to foehn wind

Mon – 400-800m Far East of Austria, 1200-1600m generally, 1600-2000m S Germany, NW and W Austria, SE Switzerland,

Tue – 200-600m Far East of Austria, 1200-1800m generally, 1600-2200m S Germany, NW and W Austria, S and E Switzerland, into the French Alps

Wed– 200-600m Far East of Austria, 800-1400 Reminder Eastern Austria, 1800-2200m elsewhere

Thur 600m-1400m Eastern Austria, 1800m-2200m elsewhere

Friday 1800m-2200m generally

Summary

A mixed week, dry and mild in Northern and Eastern parts, so take you sun screen, with the chance of heavy snow over higher slopes further South and west with Italy the prime spot for some heavy snow.

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