SnowBrains Forecast: Five Feet of Snow for the Alps Through the Weekend

The Alps are in for a multi-day storm cycle that peaks late Thursday night through Friday night, then reloads with a colder weekend refresh before a milder taper early next week. Standout totals favor the western French Alps, led by Chamonix and Val Thorens at 36″–58″, with several nearby areas in the 26″–48″ range. Snow levels oscillate noticeably (briefly higher Thursday, then very low over the weekend, then rising sharply Monday), while snow quality trends best Friday night through Saturday night with SLRs commonly in the mid-teens to near 20:1 before turning denser late in the period. Winds look occasionally impactful on exposed ridgelines during the heart of the storm, with peak gusts topping out in the 20–30 mph range at the windiest resorts.

A long-duration Wednesday night (01/07) through Friday night (01/09) storm brings the core of the week’s snowfall, with the most productive window concentrated Thursday night into Friday night. Snow levels start very low Wednesday night, then climb Thursday into Thursday night (often into the 2,000–3,900 feet range), which can briefly compromise lower elevations before colder air works back in by Friday night. The biggest totals pile up across the western French resorts, where Chamonix and the upper Tarentaise cluster (Val Thorens, Tignes, Courchevel, Val d’Isère) generally land in the 26″–58″ neighborhood for the full storm window, while open Verbier checks in at 27″–43″. Snow quality during the heaviest push is mostly fair to good, with SLRs commonly around 11–16:1 in the thick of Thursday night snowfall, improving into the mid-teens and upper teens as colder air filters in.

A colder weekend push from Saturday (01/10) through Sunday night (01/11) keeps snow levels pinned low and boosts snow quality across much of the Alps. Many resorts sit with snow levels down around 500–700 feet for extended stretches Saturday and Saturday night, lining up with SLRs frequently in the 16–20:1 range, so the new snow should ski lighter and drier than the earlier, slightly warmer pulse. This is also when additional accumulation can feel especially meaningful in the central and eastern Alps, where totals are lower overall but come in high quality, including open St. Anton at 15″–25″ and Ischgl at 17″–29″ for the full period. Expect some exposure issues at times on upper lifts and ridges, particularly around the windiest windows when gusts push into the mid-20s to low-30s mph range.

By Monday (01/12) into Tuesday (01/13), the pattern tapers with smaller top-offs while snow levels rise sharply, creating a noticeable elevation split late in the cycle. Snow levels climb back into roughly the 4,000–5,900 feet range by Monday and Tuesday in several areas, and temperatures trend into the upper 20s to low 30s Fahrenheit, so the lowest elevations can skew wetter while mid and upper mountain stays more reliably wintry. Snow quality also trends denser late, with SLRs slipping back toward roughly 8–13:1 during the warmest portion, especially Monday and Tuesday. Amounts during this late phase are generally lighter than the main storm, but they can still add a useful finishing layer in spots that remain cold enough, while winds ease back closer to gentle to moderate levels for many resorts.

Resort Forecast Totals

• Chamonix – 36″–58″ Wed night (01/07) – Tue (01/13)
• Val Thorens – 36″–57″ Wed night (01/07) – Mon night (01/12)
• Tignes – 29″–47″ Wed night (01/07) – Mon night (01/12)
• Courchevel – 29″–46″ Wed night (01/07) – Mon night (01/12)
• Verbier – 27″–43″ Wed night (01/07) – Mon night (01/12)
• Val d’Isère – 26″–41″ Wed night (01/07) – Mon night (01/12)
• Wengen (Jungfrau) – 23″–38″ Wed night (01/07) – Tue (01/13)
• Ischgl – 17″–29″ Wed night (01/07) – Tue (01/13)
• St. Anton – 15″–25″ Wed night (01/07) – Tue (01/13)
• Samnaun – 12″–21″ Wed night (01/07) – Tue (01/13)
• Cervinia – 13″–21″ Wed night (01/07) – Mon night (01/12)
• Zermatt – 11″–18″ Wed night (01/07) – Mon night (01/12)
• Kitzbühel – 10″–17″ Thu night (01/08) – Tue (01/13)
• Sölden – 6″–10″ Thu (01/08) – Tue (01/13)
• St. Moritz – 3″–5″ total (2″ Thu (01/08) – Fri night (01/09) + 2″–3″ Fri night (01/09) – Sun night (01/11))