Snow Overviews

France

Updated 30/12

The New Year dawns bright, dry and sunny as high pressure remains over much of Europe during this time. This changes rapidly as the weekend begins, with large flows of low pressure and cold air moving in from the East. This will bring excellent snow totals to much of the French Alps.

Snow will begin on Friday with around 20cm down. This will then increase to up to 1m down over higher ground, snow continuing into Sunday with another 15cm forecast. The freezing line will rise to around 2,000m throughout this period however snowfall is expected to reach lower down the hill too.

This snow will fall on a persistent weak layer and layers of facets within the snowpack that have already triggered avalanches over the festive period. Expect the avalanche warning to rise greatly in the coming days, and the snowpack to take a long time to settle – plan all back country travel and check your local avalanche forecast before heading out.

Snowfall is expected to continue in the new week after a brief flurry of sunshine on Monday, with temperatures plummeting as the freezing line hits below sea level.

Switzerland

Updated 30/12

The New Year dawns fine, dry and bright across the Swiss Alps with high pressure lingering across central and western Europe. This will change, however, as the week concludes with cold and unsettled conditions moving in from the East. Around 40cm of snowfall can then be expected over the whole region.

This will begin on Friday, before around a foot falls on higher ground over Saturday. The freezing line will hover around 2,000m, however this will plummet on Sunday meaning the last tail of this snowfall hits all elevations.  Conditions then remain bitterly cold into the new week with more snowfall expected.

Austria

Updated 30/12

Things finally turn the corner for Austrian resorts this week after predicted snowfall stays away over the New Year period. Continuing high pressure means 2026 dawns fine, dry and bright, however more unsettled conditions and snow move in over this weekend.

Starting on Friday, steady snowfall will blanket almost all areas in Austria, with 15cm down at St Anton each on Saturday and Sunday. A freezing line staying around 1,000m means this will hit most elevations. Further south and east, this will bear the brunt of snowfall for the region and up to 2ft could be expected down on Sunday and into the new week.

Things remain cold and snow as the new week begins, with plenty more snowfall on the way.

Italy

Updated 30/12

Following a great weekend for the Italian Alps, the New Year dawns fine, dry and bright across the region thanks to high pressure. This moves away as the week continues, with cold and more unsettled weather eventually moving in.

The southwest will see around 15cm of snow fall in steady flurries over Friday, Saturday and Sunday; this will grow to a foot in the northwestern Italian Alps. A slower start in the Dolomites will see at least 20cm down on Sunday with more predicted outside this forecast period into the new week.

The freezing line will remain around 2,000m, dropping to 1,500m in places, before dropping off a cliff on Monday morning ensuring this snowfall – and the snow following into the new week – hits all elevations and remains there.

Germany

Updated 30/12

Good snowfall will make its way into Germany for the first time in this forecaster’s tenure at the Ski Club. Flurries will being on Thursday evening and continue through Friday, before around around 20cm of snow fall across the German Alps on Saturday. Continuing into Sunday, final totals for this forecast period will be around a foot, but with temperatures dropping as the weekend concludes and more unsettled weather coming in there is a very good chance for more snow on its way.

Spain & Andorra

Updated 30/12

Cool conditions dominate across the Pyrenees, with high pressure bringing fine, dry and bright weather across the region. This remain dry as cloud and more unsettled conditions move in over the weekend, but only a few flurries of snowfall will come with this totalling 10cm on Saturday evening.

Temperatures fall off a cliff on Sunday morning, with more unsettled weather on its way, so hopefully this brings more snow to the region!

Links – Spain

Links – Andorra

Eastern Europe

Updated 30/12

Cold temperatures continue to dominate across Eastern Europe and the Balkans, with bitterly cold conditions in store as the New Year dawns. This will bring with it a few flurries of snow to keep things fresh.

As the week concludes and the weekend begins, things turn much milder especially in the east and south where positive temperatures at mid-mountain level will bring shots of rain in parts.

Useful Links – Bulgaria

Useful Links – Other Eastern Europe

Scotland

Updated 30/12

A mild New Year for Scotland rapidly turns cold, with perfect conditions for snowmaking at many of Scotland’s alpine resorts. The Cairngorms will also see plenty of the good stuff naturally with about a foot of snow expected between Thursday and Sunday. Conditions then remain cold making sure this hangs around into the new week – this could well be one of the best times to ski Scotland in a long time!

Scandinavia

Updated 30/12

A very cold and snowy start to the New Year for northern areas, with good totals falling on New Year’s Eve-Eve (i.e., today, 30th January). Things ten remain cold but turn drier across Northern Norway and Lapland, with daytime highs perhaps edging up close to, erm, -20°C … right.

The central highlands follows this model, too, with cold conditions turning even colder as the week continues. More snowfall is expected across the middle of this week, however, with around 20cm expected down before Friday. Further South, things remain dry and comparatively mild with daytime highs of -10°C, and only a few flurries of snow to see in the New Year.

Useful Links

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Japan

Updated 30/12

Japan is so back, baby. Conditions turn cold as the new year begins and stay snowy, with 2ft of snow expected between now and Sunday. This will fall in bursts on Wednesday, Friday and peaking with at least a foot on Sunday on Honshu, but fall steadily and continuously on Hokkaido. Snorkels at the ready …

USA

Updated 30/12

Temperatures remain comparatively high on the Left Coast as their poor start to the season continues. The freezing line will sit around midmountain level at most places across the PNW, Frontier Ranges and Tetons, demonstrating how widespread this bad start is. Things do turn colder as the weekend approaches, and with it a few flurries of snowfall, but nothing much to write home about.

The Ice Coast continues to experience bitterly cold conditions, with daytime highs of -18°C (-3°F) expected in parts at times. Flurries of snow will be found overnight, meaning tracks should hopefully freshen up for the new day!

Canada

Updated 30/12

A mild start to the New Year for many resorts in the Coastals, BC Interior and Rockies, with plus temperatures at mid-mountain level. This will change as the weekend begins, with temperatures falling across the region. Snow will fall in the Coastals and Interior, with about a foot expected down at Whistler, and half this amount further inland. The Rockies turns cold but stays dry, missing out on this snowfall through this forecast period.

Over the St Lawrence, things remain bitterly cold, with steady temperatures of -20°C expected. Things will stay dry, however, with a few flurries expected but barely enough to measure against a snowstick.