The old year is about to come to a close—just a matter of hours now—and weather experts are looking ahead to see what 2013 has in store.
For snow lovers, there is good news to kick off the New Year: after a couple of weeks with slightly above-average temperatures in the Alps and alternating spells of snow and rain, a new weather system is on the way that will bring snow across the entire Alpine arc above 700 meters.
The final day of 2012 will feature fine weather, but on January 1, 2013 a storm arriving from France will cross the Alps and bring snow, first to the northwest (Aosta Valley, Piedmont, and Liguria) and then spreading to the northeast and parts of Emilia.
Precipitation is also expected on January 2, intensifying during the first half of the day, particularly in the northeast where colder air will also move in and likely lower the snow line to 500 meters.
Following this snowfall, sunshine will return at least until Epiphany. This fresh snow will help ski resorts wrap up the Christmas holidays in style during a winter that, fortunately, has seen strong turnout on the slopes and open ski lifts across the Alps and most of the Apennines.
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