The weather will already dry out on Wednesday, except in Haute-Maurienne where a small return from the East (to be confirmed in view of the deadline) could still let a few snowflakes flutter over the Italian border. Note that the minimum temperatures will finally be cold with -2/+2 degrees around 1000 meters and -7/-4 degrees around 2000 meters. Suffice to say that the production of artificial snow, two weeks before the opening of the first stations, will start, there is no doubt.
From Thursday afternoon, in often sunny weather, temperatures will climb a few degrees again.
Massif-Central :
A bit like in the Northern Alps, Tuesday promises to be the most “wintry” day since temperatures will be in free fall. It will not thaw on the highest peaks of the massif. With very present clouds and humidity: frost will be present there too towards the highest summits.
In the afternoon and evening, small showers could give a few flakes above 1000/1200 meters with a small dusting (very locally 2 to 5 cm) envisaged towards Sancy/Monts-Dore, the Cantal mountains or even the Madeleine mountains and Forez/Pilat.
With the return of the south wind on Thursday, this dusting will not last long.
Southern Alps:
It's probably here that the situation will be the most interesting to follow.
However, it will still be remarkably fine, under bright sunshine, on Sunday and Monday, November 11, with an unseasonable mildness still present.
Radical change of feeling to be expected on Tuesday. The cold air, and the associated instability, tumbles from the North sweeping the entire massif and accompanied by small showers of snow above 1300/1500 meters or even 1000/1100 meters very locally in the deepest valleys . A bit like everywhere else it is difficult at this stage to envisage more 2 to 5 cm of snow from 1800 meters over most of the massif. But, in places, we could see more snow accumulation by Wednesday. In fact, a “return from the East” type situation sets in on Tuesday evening and will last until Wednesday morning.
The map below highlights the most exposed areas, namely Haut-Guil (East of Queyras), Mercantour… which is entirely logical during these weather configurations.
This should be taken with a grain of salt in view of the deadline but we could observe 15 to 25 cm of snow above 1900 meters in these sectors or even 30 to 35 cm on the Italian border towards Haut-Guil.
Finally, we wouldn't be that far from being able to take out the rock skis here… so to be continued!
