August Snowfall in the Alps

Summer snow is falling on high slopes in the Alps, bringing to an end a period of record snowfall.  A refuge above Val d’Isere is pictured above this morning.

Slopes above around 2,200m altitude are currently reporting snowfall, with the most optimistic forecasts predicting up to two feet (60cm) of snowfall is possible in total on glaciers by Wednesday. There’s been heavy rain and stormy conditions at lower elevations.

The return to sub-zero temperatures follows a hot few weeks at altitude in the Alps which saw the freezing point rise to a record high nearly 5,300m in the Swiss Alps, almost 500m higher than the highest peak in western Europe.

Temperatures on glaciers hit double digits and failed to get back down below freezing overnight, leading to fast thawing of the remaining snowpack on top. Italy’s Passo Stelvio, one of four glaciers currently open for summer skiing and boarding closed on Friday because of the heat and will review on Tuesday whether there’s enough snowfall by then for it to reopen.

The glacier ski areas at Hintertux, Saas Fee (pictured below this morning) and Zermatt (pictured above this morning) are currently open for skiing, weather permitting, Zermatt’s slopes also currently accessible from Cervinia.

Austria‘s Pitztal, Kaunertal and Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski areas are expected to open for their 23-24 seasons in September.

For the latest snow forecast and updates on where is best to ski now, as well as ski news, gear reviews and resort spotlights, you can check out our regular podcast here Apple | Spotify | Podcasts or search The White Out on your chosen podcast directory.