Europe Snow Forecast: Serre Chevalier Leads With 82 cm Over the Next 10 Days

Europe has had a quiet start to November, and the next 10 days look set to change that.

Our forecast for Wednesday, November 4 through Friday, November 13 puts Serre Chevalier in France on top with 82 cm (32 in), ahead of Les 2 Alpes on 71 cm (28 in) and Monterosa Ski in Italy on 52 cm (20 in).

The snow arrives in two pushes. A western Alps top-up starts on Friday and runs into Monday, then a larger system on November 12 and 13 reaches further east into Italy and Switzerland.

The 10-day leaderboard

• Serre Chevalier, France: 82 cm (32 in)
• Les 2 Alpes, France: 71 cm (28 in)
• Monterosa Ski, Italy: 52 cm (20 in)
• San Domenico, Italy: 49 cm (19 in)

• Macugnaga, Italy: 49 cm (19 in)
• Courmayeur, Italy: 48 cm (19 in)
• Verbier 4 Vallées, Switzerland: 48 cm (19 in)
• Saas Fee, Switzerland: 45 cm (18 in)
• Corvatsch, Switzerland: 44 cm (17 in)

• Grands Montets (Chamonix), France: 43 cm (17 in)
• La Thuile, Italy: 42 cm (17 in)

These totals are for the elevations shown on our forecast, which range from 2,284 m (7,493 ft) at San Domenico to 3,218 m (10,558 ft) at Saas Fee.

Friday to Monday: the western Alps go first

Friday brings the first light snow, with Les 2 Alpes forecast to pick up 11 cm (4 in), Serre Chevalier 7 cm (3 in) and Verbier 6 cm (2 in). Snow levels sit around 1,800 to 2,100 m (5,900 to 6,900 ft) during the main precipitation. Saturday is the lull, with little or nothing at most resorts on the list.

Sunday, November 8 is where this first push does its best work in France. Les 2 Alpes is forecast to take 20 cm (8 in) and Serre Chevalier 17 cm (7 in), with 8 to 9 cm (3 to 4 in) at Courmayeur, La Thuile and Grands Montets.

Monday then delivers the widest spread of the first push: 15 cm (6 in) at Verbier, 14 cm (6 in) at both Courmayeur and La Thuile, 11 cm (4 in) at Grands Montets and 10 cm (4 in) at both Serre Chevalier and Les 2 Alpes.

Thursday, November 12 is the day to watch

Tuesday and Wednesday are quiet for most resorts, apart from Serre Chevalier picking up 12 cm (5 in) on Wednesday as a lead-in. The bigger numbers sit at the end of the forecast. Serre Chevalier is forecast to take 27 cm (11 in) in a single day on Thursday, with Corvatsch next on 22 cm (9 in).

Les 2 Alpes picks up 17 cm (7 in), Monterosa Ski and Macugnaga 16 cm (6 in) each, Courmayeur 15 cm (6 in), Grands Montets 14 cm (6 in), Verbier and Saas Fee 13 cm (5 in) each, San Domenico 12 cm (5 in) and La Thuile 10 cm (4 in).

Friday, November 13 favours the Italian side. San Domenico is forecast to add 25 cm (10 in) after 12 cm the day before, so roughly three quarters of its 10-day total lands in the final two days. Macugnaga, Monterosa Ski and Saas Fee also keep snowing into Friday with 10 to 11 cm (4 in) each.

A forecast this far out can move, and the timing and reach of that second system are still being worked out across the models. Our forecasts are built to run on the cautious side, but check back as Thursday gets closer.

Austria stays dry and milder

None of the Austrian resorts make the top 11. Guidance has Austria staying largely dry through the week, with afternoon temperatures in the lower mountains reaching around 9°C (48°F) near Kitzbühel and St. Anton on Thursday. Existing snow should hold better on cold upper terrain, while lower slopes soften by day and refreeze overnight.

Early-season terrain across the Alps is still limited. Zermatt has been running glacier skiing since October 14, Cervinia is also advertising glacier skiing, and Tignes is scheduled to open on November 21. The snow on this forecast adds to coverage that is still building.