SnowBrains Forecast: 30cm of Snow for Europe Will Kick Off a Stormier Pattern

The Alps remain active this week, with light snow early, a stronger midweek push, and a lower-confidence multi-day window late Sunday into mid-next week. Snow levels generally sit near 915 to 1,524 m (3,000 to 5,000 feet), which keeps most upper mountain terrain in play while the lowest villages in Austria flirt with wetter snow during the warmest pulses. Snow quality looks best on the highest, coldest terrain on the Italian side, where SLRs (snow to liquid ratio) run in the mid to upper teens, while the Dolomites and some lower Austrian zones lean denser with SLRs closer to 10 to 13:1. Winds stay mostly manageable, though Val Thorens stands out for stronger ridge-top winds Monday night. If you want the best odds for meaningful fresh snow before the weekend, keep an eye on Cortina, Val Thorens, and the northern French Alps.

Monday night into Tuesday brings a quick refresher, with the Italian side of the Matterhorn favored for the lightest snow. Temperatures stay cold enough for snow at most elevations, and snow levels hover in the 915 to 1,100 m (3,000 to 3,600 feet) range for the western Alps, so accumulation should extend well down the mountain at the higher resorts. SLRs in places like Cervinia are in the mid to upper teens, indicating noticeably lighter, drier snow than the lower-SLR pockets farther north and west. The northern French Alps receive lighter amounts, with SLRs generally in the low teens, so expect a denser refresh that skis best on sheltered terrain. Val Thorens experiences the sharpest wind signal this window, with sustained winds around 40 km/h (25 mph) and gusts near 64 km/h (40 mph), which can reduce lift comfort at altitude. Zermatt is open and offers good, dry turns early in the week.

Wednesday through Saturday offers the best chance for meaningful new snow this week, led by a stronger midweek push into the Dolomites and a Thursday night–Friday wave into France and western Switzerland. Cortina sits in the bullseye Wednesday into Friday, and snow quality there should stay on the dense side with SLRs mostly near 11 to 13:1. Farther west, the late-week wave favors Chamonix, the Tarentaise, and the high resorts around the Mont Blanc and Vanoise area, where SLRs generally run in the 12 to 15:1 range. Snow levels trend higher at times, especially late Thursday into Friday, so the lowest elevations around Kitzbühel and Wengen can mix in wetter snow near the base while mid and upper mountain terrain keeps accumulating. Winds remain fairly light across most zones during this stretch, and Verbier is open for a well-timed refresher heading into the weekend.

Late Sunday through next Thursday appears to be a longer, more unsettled stretch with several snow pulses, and confidence is lower in the timing of the largest breaks. Many resorts pick up snow in waves starting around Sunday night or Monday night, with snow levels often settling back toward 820 to 1,190 m (2,700 to 3,900 feet) and temperatures staying mostly in the teens and 20s. Snow quality in this period looks fairly solid for midwinter, with many locations carrying SLRs in the low to mid teens, and the higher Italian and Swiss terrain pushing into the mid to upper teens at times. The ECMWF and the GFS both keep the pattern active, while the GDPS is markedly wetter in a few pockets, and the ICON is lighter early next week. Stay tuned for updated forecasts soon!

Resort Forecast Totals (Mon night (02/02)–Sat night (02/07))

• Cortina d’Ampezzo – 23–33 cm (9″–13″) total (5 cm (2″) Mon night (02/02) – Tue (02/03) + 18–25 cm (7″–10″) Wed (02/04) – Fri (02/06) + 0–3 cm (0″–1″) Sat (02/07))
• Val Thorens – 20–28 cm (8″–11″) total (8 cm (3″) Mon night (02/02) – Tue (02/03) + 13–20 cm (5″–8″) Wed night (02/04) – Fri (02/06))
• St. Moritz – 15–20 cm (6″–8″) total (8 cm (3″) Mon night (02/02) – Tue (02/03) + 5–8 cm (2″–3″) Wed (02/04) – Wed night (02/04) + 3–5 cm (1″–2″) Fri (02/06) – Sat (02/07))
• Cervinia – 13–18 cm (5″–7″) total (10–13 cm (4″–5″) Mon night (02/02) – Tue (02/03) + 3–5 cm (1″–2″) Thu night (02/05) – Fri (02/06))
• Val d’Isère – 13–18 cm (5″–7″) total (5 cm (2″) Mon night (02/02) – Tue (02/03) + 8–13 cm (3″–5″) Thu night (02/05) – Fri (02/06))
• Courchevel – 10–15 cm (4″–6″) total (3 cm (1″) Mon night (02/02) – Tue (02/03) + 8–13 cm (3″–5″) Thu night (02/05) – Fri night (02/06))
• Tignes – 10–15 cm (4″–6″) total (3 cm (1″) Mon night (02/02) – Tue (02/03) + 8–13 cm (3″–5″) Thu night (02/05) – Fri (02/06))
• Zermatt – 8–13 cm (3″–5″) total (5–8 cm (2″–3″) Mon night (02/02) – Tue (02/03) + 3–5 cm (1″–2″) Thu night (02/05) – Fri (02/06))
• Chamonix – 8–13 cm (3″–5″) Thu night (02/05) – Fri (02/06)
• Sölden – 8–10 cm (3″–4″) total (5–8 cm (2″–3″) Wed (02/04) – Thu (02/05) + 3 cm (1″) Fri night (02/06) – Sat (02/07))
• Verbier – 5–8 cm (2″–3″) Thu night (02/05) – Fri (02/06)
• Kitzbühel – 3–5 cm (1″–2″) Fri night (02/06) – Sat night (02/07)
• Ischgl – 3–5 cm (1″–2″) Fri (02/06) – Sat (02/07)
• Samnaun – 3–5 cm (1″–2″) Fri (02/06) – Sat (02/07)
• Wengen (Jungfrau) – 3–5 cm (1″–2″) Fri (02/06) – Sat (02/07)