[b]Alps / Europe Past week [/b]

Last week I commented about the improvement over the Alps, this week has continued the vast improvement, and there has been a transformation of snow conditions from green field to deep snow over most Alpine mountains and down to resort level quite widely. This also means a very good base has been established which is now likely to remain to the end of this season.

For most of November there was mild weather over the Alps, with the snow line rising back up the mountains, however there were indications in the models last week that it would turn colder this week with snow arriving back on the mountains.. As ever the following link gives the latest conditions [url="http://www.snow-forecast.com/overviews/tips_full"]http://www.snow-fore...views/tips_full[/url]

[b]Going Forward[/b]

A generally cold or very cold week over the Alps, but generally quite a bit drier than over recent weeks.

[b]Daily Summaries [/b]

[attachment=147901:Alps 7 Dec.JPG]

[b]Sat 8 December - [/b]There is High Pressure over Greenland (1045mb), with high pressure through the Svalbard region right through to Russia (1045mb), there is also a displaced Azores High over Southern parts of the UK (1030mb) giving NW winds. There is low pressure over the Atlantic (985mb), over Iceland (995mb) and another low pressure centred over Southern Italy, with cold or very cold weather over the Alps with further snow expected here. .

[attachment=147900:Alps 8 Dec.JPG]

[b]Sun 9 December - [/b]The High pressure over Greenland weakens slightly, but high pressure staying over Svalbard - Russia area. Generally everything else moves SE, the low pressure over Iceland moves to NE of the UK, the High Pressure the UK, moves away to the South, with a cool/cold NE feed over the UK in between these two systems, while High pressure ridges into the western Alps, and low pressure over Italy moves in the far SE of Europe, with the coldest and most unsettled weather over the Eastern Alps.

[attachment=147899:Alps 9 Dec.JPG]

[b]Mon 10[b] December [/b] - [/b]High Pressure over Greenland (1045mb) and the the NW of the UK, with slack NE cold winds over the UK, High Pressure also over Scandinavia/Russia, with low pressure over much of mainland Europe with a a low pressure centre of 1000mb over Germany, with cool to cold Northerly/ NE winds over much of the Alps. The High Pressure over the UK even at this stage is acting a bit of a block to the coldest air to the east edging in.

[attachment=147898:Alps 10 Dec.JPG]

[b]Tue 11[b][b] December [/b][/b] - [/b]The High Pressure over the UK forms a block to Greenland, with the low pressure over much of Europe, it does appear that the coldest air previously heading for the UK, not set to hit the Alps, with NE winds in this region. However still cold and frosty over the UK High Pressure again in the Scandinavia / Russia area. Very good inter model agreement to this point.

[attachment=147897:Alps 11 Dec.JPG]

[b]Wed 12[b][b] December [/b][/b] - [/b]The GFS synoptic chart for this day is rather messy, High pressure again over Scandinavia (1050mb) bridging across to Greenland, low pressure over mainland Europe, with NE flow over the Alps. with weak High Pressure (1035mb) over Southern parts of the UK and NW Europe, still rather cold here. Low Pressure in the Atlantic waiting in the wings.

[attachment=147896:Alps 12 Dec.JPG]

[b]Towards Weekend[/b] [b] -[/b] It does seem that the High pressure over the UK and NW Europe is set to breakdown, with Low pressure from the Atlantic pushing in, this could being milder weather for the UK and the Alps towards this period, but the last few days have shown that things can change very quickly on the models.

[b]Alps Weather[/b]

[b]Sat 8 December - [/b]Heavy precipitation overnight generally fading into Saturday, but tending to continue over some southern areas. Freezing Level 0-400m quite widely, up to 1000m over Western Italy. Sub zero to sea level overnight.
[attachment=147921:Alps 8 Dec B.JPG]

[b]Sun 9 December -[/b] Dry to start but some precipitation edging into North Western parts during the late morning and spreading into most of the Northern Alps by afternoon, and continuing through the evening. Freezing Levels 0-600m generally, 800-1000m SE Switzerland, W Austria and parts of Italy.
[attachment=147920:Alps 9 Dec B.JPG]

[b]Mon 10 December - [/b]Precipitation for central parts of the Alps to start this gradually dying out, but being replaced with further precipitation from the north, this heavy in places as it pushes south. By noon, it runs though the French Alps, much of Switzerland and Austria Freezing Levels 600m-800m generally for Alps, 1000-1400m for an area SE Switzerland, W Austria and parts of Italy. Precipitation continuing into the small hours, with freezing level down to 200-400m generally.

[attachment=147919:Alps 10 Dec B.JPG]

[b]Tue 11 December - [/b]Patchy to moderate precipitation continuing for northern parts of the alp, with freezing levels lower than previous days, 300-600m generally, closer to 1000m over Italy.

[attachment=147918:Alps 11 Dec B.JPG]

[b]Wed 12 December -[/b] After a sub zero night throughout the Alps, a drier day with only patchy preciupittaion , Freezing level , a few hundred meters above sea level at most.
[attachment=147916:Alps 12 Dec B.JPG]

[b]Outlook - [/b]Looking very cold and dry for Thursday, probably dry as well on Friday but perhaps turning milder later from west.

[b]Summary - [/b]A north south split this week, additional snowfalls likely in the northern parts of the Alps, but not to the extent of recent weeks, less snow further south, and perhaps snow depths dropping at some Italian resorts at lower slopes, but nothing drastic.