Image above: Webcam image from Saas-Fee in Switzerland.
As much as a foot of snow fell across a wide area in the Alps in late-July and early August with Switzerland leading the way at Glacier 3000, Zermatt, Saas Fee, and Cervinia, reports Snow-Forecast.
Switzerland still has four ski areas open for summer operations, but recently heavy snow and high winds combined to make visibility poor, forcing some of the resorts to temporarily close for safety reasons.
Other locations receiving measurable summer snow in July and August in their portions of the Alps, included Austria at the Hintertux glacier, Italy at Passo Stelvio, and Les Arcs in France.
The Local reports that portions of central and northern Europe have experienced cooler than average summer temperatures since mid-July, with some areas reporting temperatures more similar to late-autumn than peak summer.
“Switzerland, like much of mid and northern Europe, has seen cooler days and mixed weather since around mid-July,” writes The Local. “During the night from Sunday to Monday [August 6 and 7], temperatures dropped to a fresh 11 to 9C.
“And in the foothills of the Alps, … SRF Meteo [reports] the snow line dropped to 2,000 meters – and even 1,700 m locally,” The Local, continued. “[T]he Oberalp Pass, Grimsel Pass, Gotthard Pass, and Flüela Pass were affected by the winter conditions, with snow and ice having to be cleared.”