More August Snow Falls in the Alps
27th August 2023
Last modified on September 1st, 2023
Heavy snow has been falling at some ski areas in the Alps. It follows summer heatwaves with record-breaking temperatures. Cooler weather is now here as Autumn approaches. UPDATED
The temperatures have fallen with snow at altitude and some heavy rain lower down.
Snow has been falling as low as 1,500m in places.
Here are the latest images of the August snow:
Tignes, France:
Grande Motte Glacier above #Tignes before (26 August) and after (30 August) recent storm. pic.twitter.com/3GtC4fsyV5
— weathertoski (@weathertoski) August 30, 2023
St Anton, Austria:
Val Thorens, France:
Authorities in Haute-Savoie area in France have urged caution for people hiking in the area as there is a high risk of avalanches in places..
In Courchevel the first snowman of the season has appeared.
A fine specimen he looks too.
Elsewhere in Les3Vallees some people have been making a few turns:
La fin de l’été, le début de l’hiver? #ValThorens#Les3Vallees #InfiniteMountainExperiences pic.twitter.com/MOyVJKBIdE
— Les 3 Vallées (@3Vallees_france) August 29, 2023
Snow is falling in the Austrian glacier resorts, some of which plan to open at the end of September.
Here’s Kaunteral in the Tirol.
While there has been snow in the Swiss resort of Zermatt.
Here was the scene at Riffelberg at 2,200m on Monday.
Inmiddels boven de circa 2200 meter al een dik pak sneeuw in de Oberwalliser Alpen. Beeld #Zermatt #Gornergrat treinstation op de #Riffelberg 2582m pic.twitter.com/v4Aq21D71V
— Johanns (Alpen)weer (@Alpenweerman) August 28, 2023
There was even snow in town in Zermatt.
“Snowed all the way down to the village this morning!” said Subzero Coaching on the PlanetSKI Facebook page that contains more images of the snow.
Zermatt. Switzerland. Image c/o Subzero Coaching.
Elsewhere in Switzerland there has been a dusting on the peaks in Verbier.
PlanetSKI reader, Heather Jefferies, has sent us this image looking from Marmottes towards Creblet and Col des Mines.
Verbier. Image c/o Heather Jefferies.
It’s been falling in Val d’Isere too:
But the temperatures are set to rise and much of the snow will melt.
The weather has cleared showing plenty of fresh snow above #Zermatt. However, most of this snow will melt over the next few days as freezing levels head back towards 4000m… pic.twitter.com/eCDKQdQCSW
— weathertoski (@weathertoski) August 30, 2023
It follows two weeks of high summer temperatures that have taken their toll on the glaciers.
At one point the freezing level was way above the highest of the alpine peaks at 5,298m.
In Switzerland it was the third warmest summer since temperature records began.
Geneva recorded a temperature of 39.3°C (102.74 °F).
According to MeteoSwiss, this was the highest temperature ever recorded in August on the northern side of the Alps and in canton Valais.
It was similar in Austria, France and Italy.
We reported on it here:
Chamonix in the Summer. Image © PlanetSKI
The authorities urged climbers and hikers to be careful with rockfalls predicted and crevasses opening up on glaciers.
So far this year, 17 people have lost their lives in the mountains in the Valais region.
That’s more than the annual total in each of the past five years.
Four glacier ski areas in the Alps remain open: Hintertux in Austria, Zermatt in Switzerland that can also be reached from Cervinia in Italy, Saas-Fee in Switzerland and Passo Stelvio in Italy.
Hintertux in the summer. Image © PlanetSKI
PlanetSKI was in Hintertux back in June for summer skiing, but there are now just 2kms of slopes open with a reported snow depth of 20cm at the top of the ski area.
Some glacier areas are setting their opening dates, with Pitztal in the Tirol in Austria planning to open some slopes later this month on September 23rd.
Kaunertal and Kitzsteinhorn in Austria are also expected to open at the end of September.
Here at PlanetSKI we’ll keep you posted on any opening dates announcements and the snow this week.
Lower down the mountains is heavy rain.
According to the SRF meteorologist, Daniela Schmuki, landslides and flooding are possible.
Here is a raging river at Schladming in Austria.
Do check back for updates…
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