Alps Get Up to 80cm of Snow in 24 Hours

A number of ski areas in the Alps have issued powder alarms this morning for snowfall of over 20cm in the past 24 hours.  In some cases ski areas have reported 50-70m of snow since yesterday.

Snow has been falling heavily across much of the Alps since Saturday and in most places was particularly heavy yesterday.

Powder alarms have been issued so far by Zermatt (25cm), 50cm by Austria’s Pitztal glacier,70m (over two feet) by Glacier 3000 near Gstaad and 80cm (Nearly three feet) by the Hintertux glacier (pictured top).

About two dozen ski areas are already open with Davos and Laax in Switzerland the latest to do so on Saturday.  These are the areas that can issue powder alarms, but many yet-to-open for the season have had big snowfalls too.  Livigno in Italy reported on its Facebook page that it has had 55cm of snow.

Here’s the road up to the Austrian Tirol’s Stubai glacier this morning:

 

The snowfall is expected to continue all week at many resorts with over a metre at some areas by next weekend in the more optimistic forecasts.

Fresh snow has also been reported in other European ski regions, as well as in North America.  Scandinavia, The Pyrenees, Eastern Europe and Scottish ski slopes were amongst those receiving fresh snow.

Here’s Grandvalira in Andorra this morning:

 

Other ski areas opening at the weekend included Levi in Finland and Beitostolen in Norway.