Weather
Mostly dry weather dominates the European Alps through the weekend, then a modest Monday into Tuesday refresh favors the higher Swiss-Italian border terrain before confidence drops sharply later in the period. Near-term accumulations are generally small, with the best in-window outcomes around 10 cm near the highest terrain around Cervinia and Zermatt, while many eastern and lower-elevation areas see only trace to minor additions. A quieter midweek stretch follows, then the next weekend carries a wider spread from light snowfall to a more organized western and southern Alps storm scenario.
Friday through Sunday is the highest-confidence portion of this forecast, with guidance converging on mostly dry conditions, gradual cooling, and limited wind disruption. Daytime temperatures trend from milder Friday conditions toward colder air by Sunday, with many upper-mountain readings near -6 C to -1 C and occasional daytime valley temperatures above freezing. Winds are generally light to moderate, most often around 5 km/h to 20 km/h, so lift-impact risk looks limited for most resorts. From late Sunday into Tuesday, guidance still converges on a weak snowfall wave in timing, centered on Monday afternoon and evening, but diverges on intensity. Snow-level guidance also has spread, though most outcomes keep active precipitation snow levels near 1,300 meters to 1,900 meters, which favors higher terrain. Snow quality in this wave should be mostly SLR 8 to 13, supporting dense to moderate snow rather than consistently fluffy snow.
Wednesday and Thursday trend quieter again, then confidence decreases quickly from Friday into Monday as guidance diverges on timing, intensity, snow levels, and wind impacts. The lower-end cluster keeps snowfall intermittent and generally light, with many resorts staying near or under 10 cm, while a higher-end scenario develops a broader late-weekend storm focused on the western and southern Alps. That leaves meaningful upside if the wetter scenario verifies, but conservative expectations remain the better call at this lead time. Snow levels in the late window vary widely between roughly 1,600 meters and just above 2,100 meters across solutions, so elevation remains a key separator between wet surfaces and better winter snow. Wind guidance also splits somewhat in the extended range, with most outcomes still manageable but occasional ridgeline periods around 20 km/h to 35 km/h possible near storm timing. If late-period snow materializes, likely SLR values near 9 to 12 imply dense to moderate quality.
Resort Forecast Totals (Sun Mar 01 – Tue Mar 03)
- Cervinia – 5-7 cm
- Zermatt – 3-5 cm
- Chamonix – 2-3 cm
- St. Moritz – 2-3 cm
- Verbier – 2-3 cm
- Wengen (Jungfrau) – 2-3 cm
- Val d’Isère – 1-2 cm
- Ischgl – 1 cm
- Samnaun – 1 cm
- St. Anton – 1 cm
- Tignes – 1 cm
- Val Thorens – 1 cm
- Cortina d’Ampezzo – 0-1 cm
- Courchevel – 0 cm
- Kitzbühel – 0 cm
- Sölden – 0 cm
