[Blog] Alps Weather Forecast 27 March 2015

[Guest]

I must start by expressing the shock of the terrible events of the plane crash over the Alps earlier this week. The whole event is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts go out to all those effected.

Summary

Moving on to the far less important matter of snow in the Alps, it has been a rather mixed week, with further snow at higher slopes, and much milder conditions lower down, In many ways classic early spring conditions.

These rather mixed conditions are set to continue, with milder spells, and colder spells this week at different times, but with the prospect of more general colder weather for Easter weekend.

Synoptics

The current pattern over NW Europe is for a large area of High Pressure to be centred over the Iberian Peninsula. The Alps on the far east of this pattern has North Easterly winds.

Into the weekend and the winds turns to more of a westerly over North Western Europe, this increasingly feeding into milder weather over the weekend for the Alps.

Into next week and winds veering North Westerly briefly on Monday turning things colder more especially for Eastern areas. Back milder in all areas on Tuesday with Westerly winds.

However form Wednesday onwards, a more sustained North Westerly blast is expected, with some very cold air for the time of year.

The cold more especially for Eastern areas, as winds veer more to a North Easterly signs that if may affect all parts of the Alps over Easter weekend, however this is a long way off. Indeed the Weather Maps have changed significantly since this morning.

Temperatures

Quite often a South West / North East split this week, coldest generally towards the North and East

Sat – 1000m-1400m North and East Austria, SE Germany 1600m-1800m rest of Southern Germany, Northern and Central Austria, NE Switzerland, Liechtenstein, NE Italy 2000-2200m most of Switzerland, NW Italy, French Alps

Sun – 1600m-2000m S Germany, French Alps, N Switzerland, Liechtenstein, N and E Austria 2000m-2400m S Switzerland, SW Austria, N Italy

Mon - 1400m-1800m Northern Austria, SE Germany 1800-2000m Central Austria, N Switzerland, Liechtenstein 2000-2400m S Switzerland, S Austria, French Alps, N Italy

Tue – 1800m-2200m Northern Austria, S Germany, N Switzerland 2200m-2600m rest of Switzerland and Austria, French Alps, 2600m-3000m N Italy

Wed – 900m-1200m Northern Austria, S Germany, N Switzerland 1200m-1800m Central Switzerland and Austria , French Alps, 1800m-2100m N Italy

Thurs– 1000m-1200m Northern Austria, Far SE Germany 1400m-1800m Central Southern Germany, Central Austria, NE Italy 1800m-2400m rest of Austria, Switzerland, French Alps, NW Italy, Liechtenstein

Fri – 600m-1200m Northern Austria, Far SE Germany 1200m-1800m rest of S Germany, N Austria, N Switzerland 1800-2100m S Switzerland, SW Austria, N Italy

Precipitation

Sat – After overnight precipitation in Central Austria fades, it will turn drier for a time, however a warm front will edge in from the North west, bringing moderate rain for a time (snow above 2000m) from evening onwards this edging east overnight.

Sunday - Patchy precipitation to start the day for northern areas this becoming heavier and prolonged with only the far south east staying dry. Snow above1800-2000m, with some significant snowfall totals likely.

Mon - The precipitation continuing into Monday with prolonged precipitation in many areas, with snow levels dropping to 1200m-1500m on the northern edge of the front. Further moderate snowfalls are likely in many northern and central areas on higher slopes.

Tuesday and Wednesday – Showery to start, with the next front edging down from the north in the evening. This continuing into Wednesday but becoming patchier, the snow levels dropping from around 1800m on Tuesday to 800m on Wednesday.

Thursday and Friday – looking mostly dry on Thursday, with the next front edging south on Friday with snow down to around 1000m.

Summary

Very much a week of contrast, mild to start (especially in the west). but turning colder especially towards the end of the week. more especially toward the east. Tentative signs of some cold weather over the Alps for Easter but time will tell, and eastern areas always favoured.

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