{"id":2106522,"date":"2026-08-22T13:26:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T10:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2106522"},"modified":"2026-08-22T13:26:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T10:26:03","slug":"snow-finally-returns-to-the-alps-after-a-historically-hot-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2106522","title":{"rendered":"Snow Finally Returns to the Alps After a Historically Hot Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Zermatt\"Zermatt<\/a>
Light snow falling at the top of Zermatt-Cervenia on August 21, 2026. | Photo: the_ski_instructor Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The whole of Western Europe is finally approaching the tail end of quite possibly its hottest summer ever.<\/span><\/strong> According to the United Nations<\/a>, the region saw its hottest June ever, as <\/span>average temperatures <\/span>soared to over 20\u00b0C (68\u00b0F), more than <\/span>3\u00b0C above the already <\/span>historically high 30-year average. July <\/span>did not offer much reprieve either, as <\/span>Super El Ni\u00f1o-related heating pushed <\/span>temperatures to an average of 22.48\u00b0C <\/span>(72.5\u00b0F), making it the second-warmest <\/span>July in recorded history. According to Copernicus, Western Europe had the hottest June-July period ever recorded.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Now, as we head into the dog days of August, we are finally seeing signs that the end to the seemingly endless slew of heat waves may be near.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On Friday, August 21, ski resorts across the Alps recorded their first meaningful snowfall since spring came to a close in late May.<\/span><\/strong> At Les Deux-Alpes<\/a>, <\/span>France, snow made an appearance in the <\/span>form of a heavy dusting at elevations <\/span>over 3,000m (9,842 ft). Zermatt<\/a>, Switzerland, <\/span>received perhaps the highest <\/span>accumulations in the region, as the <\/span>resort saw up to 8cm (3.1 in) of new <\/span>snow at upper-mountain glacial areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"August\"August<\/a>
August 21 dusting at Les Deux-Alps. | Photo: La Place du Village Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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It\u2019s important to note that while late-August snow may seem like a truly remarkable event to many North American readers, cold summer weather patterns such as this are not at all anomalous in the Alps.<\/span><\/strong> A storm in July 2025 <\/span>brought up to 30cm (11.8 in) of snow to <\/span>areas such as Mont Blanc, with freezing <\/span>levels reaching as low as 2,300m (7,546 <\/span>ft). In September 2024, as much as 1.5 <\/span>meters (4.9 ft) of snow fell across the <\/span>European continent, with snow seen <\/span>reaching as low as 1,000m (3,281 ft) in <\/span>low-elevation areas of Czechia.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    \"September\"September<\/a>
    September 2024 snow at Fluela Pass, Switzerland. | Image: Fluela Pass Hospitz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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    That\u2019s to say, this summer dusting is not the mark of a storied turnaround amid an unprecedented hot summer, but rather a glimpse of normalcy amid historic heat.<\/span><\/strong> In fact, this <\/span>long-awaited snowfall comes less than a <\/span>week after the final European ski <\/span>resort was forced to close operations <\/span>due to lack of snow.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Summer-skiing icons such as Austria\u2019s Hintertux<\/a> and Switzerland\u2019s Saas-Fee<\/a> were forced to shut their doors in early August, citing rapidly deteriorating glacial conditions due to blistering temperatures.<\/span><\/strong> Then Zermatt-Cervinia, one of <\/span>the last true year-round ski resorts in <\/span>the world, closed to the public, as a <\/span>prolonged heatwave prevented the <\/span>overnight freezing required for glacial <\/span>maintenance.<\/span><\/p>\n