26 Feb Heavy snow fall in the Alps 2026

Two weeks ago we had very heavy snow fall in the Alps. Two metres of snow in fourteen days, in fact. The biggest snowfall we’ve had since the beginning of the season. It just goes to show that winter is not over until it’s over… and that is generally the middle of April. Such quick, heavy snowfall, much of it on unstable snowpack, means the avalanche danger is hugely elevated while the snow is falling and just afterwards.

Avalanche danger levels explained

We have a scale that we use here to measure the avalanche risk. It goes from one to five: one being a very low probability of avalanche and five being very high. This scale rates the risk from what the base of the snow is like i.e. the structure of the snow that is already on the ground, not just based on heavy snow fall in the Alps. We take this into consideration because the base layer determines how well the snow sticks to the mountain. Then we calculate the degree of steepness, the temperature variations during the snowfall, wind, sun or overcast conditions. All of these factors contribute to the safety level of the mountain.

Very high avalanche risk

These past weeks the danger of avalanche was five out of five. What does this mean? In this situation the roads and ski installations are at risk because avalanches can spontaneously happen with no warning. This is generally when ski resorts will close to protect people and infrastructure. Normally these conditions don’t last too long once the heavy snow fall has settled. When the temperature rises and the snowpack changes the avalanche risk is reduced. Avalanche risk five is not where most accidents happen. It’s actually in grade three, when a natural avalanche is possible and human triggered avalanches are highly likely. This means we need to be very careful of where we choose to ski and at what time of day.

The mountain being the mountain

It is wonderful to see the Alps like this, doing their thing. It’s another humbling reminder that we can’t control the elements and we can’t control nature. It’s our job to work with it to keep everyone safe, to enjoy it and come back to ski another day while marvelling at the beauty of nature.

What does this mean for the rest of the season?

Typically when we have this much snow mid-season there will be fabulous spring skiing conditions. Due to the recent heavy snow fall at high altitude, we predict skiing will also be very good late into the season. This also means that the ski touring conditions will also be very favourable, which is something we can’t tell early on. This is spectacular ski training in late March when the conditions at high altitude are beautiful. The days are sunny for longer, the temperatures are mild and the scenery is simply stunning.

While enjoying the beautiful conditions we are also planning our summer trips which are coming up quickly. If you have summer ambitions to hit the mountains, give us a call: we are ready for you.

Warmest regards from the mountains,

Danielle