Updated: 1pm Thursday 27 October 2022 - Exceptionally warm in the Alps!
The weather in the Alps is absurdly warm right now, with maximum temperatures exceeding 20°C in many of the lower valleys and set to hit 25°C in some Foehn-affected spots over the next couple of days.
Precious little snow on the Mölltal glacier in the southern Austrian Alps which will probably not open until mid-November at least – 27 October 2022 – Photo: bergfex.com
A dozen glaciers are open for skiing in the Alps right now, albeit on a very limited basis. Six of these are in Austria (Kaunertal, Pitztal, Stubai, Kaprun, Sölden and Hintertux), three in Switzerland (Engelberg, Zermatt and Saas-Fee) and three in Italy (Val Senales, Passo Stelvio and Cervinia). In France, Les 2 Alpes had hoped to open its glacier area for skiing this half-term, however, this was abandoned due to very meagre snow cover. The Grande Motte glacier above Tignes, which normally opens by October, has also decided to wait until the season “proper” at the end of November.
Although snow conditions on the Alpine glaciers are currently very mediocre, this isn’t a major concern in relation to the coming season – some great winters don’t get going until well into December – but they do serve as a reminder of how unreliable pre-season conditions have become in recent years. It was only recently that Les 2 Alpes started having problems opening during the Autumn half term holiday, but it already seems that this is now the norm. This is also the first year that we can recall that Tignes has decided not to offer any pre-season skiing on its glacier at all.
As for the weather forecast for the Alps, it is set to remain exceptionally mild over the next few days, with some high altitude snow likely during the middle of next week but no significant or widespread snowfall on the cards any time soon.
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