Snow is expected to fall above 2,000 metres in the Alps this weekend as a cold-front moves across central Europe.
Up to 30cm of fresh snow is expected on glaciers where eight ski centres are currently open for snowsports, giving the possibility of fresh powder skiing in summer.
The most optimistic forecasts are currently for Austrian glaciers where 15cm a day may fall on both Saturday and Sunday at year-round Hintertux, whilst the Molltal glacier is expected to receive up to 20cm over the two days.
Snow is forecast on the open slopes of Italy and Switzerland too at areas including Passo Stelvio, Zermatt, Saas Fee and Cervinia but not so much – perhaps 5 -10 cm.
Zermatt still has one of the deepest snow bases in the world on its glacier at 3 metres following the huge snowfalls there last winter and Warren Smith, who runs summer ski academy courses there, says he can’t remember conditions as good as they’ve been this year.
This weekend is the last in August and in meteorological summertime. It is also the closing weekend for the glacier at Les 2 Alpes (pictured top and below), the last centre still operating for summer 2018 in France. A few centimetres of snow are forecast here.
September will see half a dozen more glacier ski areas, predominantly in Austria but also Italy, opening for the start of their 2018-19 seasons so the snowy conditions should raise expectations further, however forecasters warn of warm temperatures returning next week so, except on the glaciers themselves, the snow cover is likely to be short lived.
