If you needed a little inspiration to get excited about the 2026-27 ski season, the weather gods delivered last weekend in Europe. A blast of colder air swept across the continent, bringing the first significant high-altitude snowfall of autumn to ski resorts from the French Alps to Scandinavia and Scotland.
From the Western Alps to the Eastern Alps, resorts in France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland reported fresh snow. Further north, Norway and Sweden also saw winter make an early appearance, while Scotland’s Glencoe Mountain shared images of its own dusting.
The snowfall arrived between October 8 and 10, following a sharp change in weather that replaced an unusually mild start to autumn with colder, unsettled conditions. While the event was not a major winter storm across the entire region, some high Alpine areas received substantial accumulations for this early in the season.
The French Alps saw some of the most impressive accumulations. According to French reports, around 30–40 cm (12–16 inches) of windblown snow fell at approximately 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) in the higher terrain around Alpe d’Huez and Les 2 Alpes. Official observations reported by Météo-France also recorded 27 cm (11 inches) at Col Agnel, 24 cm (9 inches) in the Écrins, and 22 cm (9 inches) at both Aigleton in the Belledonne range and Chevril in Haute-Tarentaise. These observations were recorded at elevations above 2,000 meters (6,562 feet), where temperatures were cold enough for snow to accumulate. The snowline in France dropped to around 1,600–1,900 meters (5,250–6,230 feet) in some places, although lower-elevation snowfall was generally limited and unlikely to last once temperatures rise again. Further east, the snow-line sat a bit higher.
The snowfall followed a cold front that swept across the Alps from the west and northwest, pushing colder air into the mountain range. Temperatures dropped sharply after a period of mild autumn weather, allowing precipitation that initially fell as rain at higher elevations to turn to snow as the snowline descended. The event was associated with a push of polar air, but that does not necessarily mean a disruption of the polar vortex was responsible. Nor does one early cold spell indicate that the coming winter will be unusually cold or snowy.
In fact, warmer conditions were expected to return after the brief unsettled period. Much of the new snow at lower elevations was therefore likely to melt, while higher glaciers and mountain peaks had a better chance of retaining at least some of the fresh cover.
Further north, snowfall reached several Norwegian ski destinations, including Trysil, Hafjell, and Hallingskarvet. Oslo also received its first snowflakes of the season on October 10. The early snowfall was reported as the seventh-earliest on record for the Norwegian capital, an unusual sight for a city that more commonly sees lasting winter conditions later in the autumn or early winter. The cold weather also affected other parts of eastern Norway, with snow reported at higher elevations around destinations including Geilo, Hemsedal, and Norefjell.
October snow is notoriously fickle. Without sustained cold and further precipitation, much of the fresh cover will disappear, particularly at lower elevations. The real test will come over the next several weeks, when resorts need repeated storms and sufficiently low temperatures to build a base ahead of their planned opening dates.
For now, though, the webcams are looking a little more like winter. And after a warm start to autumn, that is enough to get the stoke going.
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Source: snowbrains.com
