19 cm forecast Wednesday at Chamonix, 18 Sixt, 17 Flaine

Haute-Savoie gets the heaviest snowfall of the week on Wednesday 21 October across the Mont-Blanc, Grand Massif, Aravis and Chablais areas. The model puts 19 cm at the top of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (2,765 m), 18 cm at Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval (2,500 m) and 17 cm at Flaine (2,500 m). Over seven days the totals reach 51, 50 and 48 cm (model forecast read on Tuesday 20 October at 6:52, not a measurement).

Wednesday: a first wave at altitude

This snow falls at the top of the ski areas, which are closed: the villages stay under rain or showers. At Flaine the model gives only 3 cm at 1,600 m over two days, against 17 cm at 2,500 m. The same gap appears everywhere: a few centimetres at mid-mountain, real snow only above 2,000 to 2,500 m. Across the massifs, the two-day summary gives 24 cm at 3,000 m in the Mont-Blanc area and 15 cm at 2,500 m in the Aravis.

Snow forecast for Wednesday 21 October at the top of the ski areas:

• Chamonix-Mont-Blanc19 cmat 2,765 m · Mont-Blanc, 51 cm over 7 days
• Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval18 cmat 2,500 m · Grand Massif, 50 cm over 7 days
• Flaine17 cmat 2,500 m · Grand Massif, 48 cm over 7 days
• Avoriaz13 cmat 2,225 m · Chablais, 39 cm over 7 days
• La Clusaz12 cmat 2,477 m · Aravis, 41 cm over 7 days
• Les Contamines-Montjoie12 cmat 2,450 m · Mont-Blanc, 41 cm over 7 days

More modest: Samoëns (11 cm at 2,120 m), Le Grand-Bornand (11 cm at 2,100 m) and Megève (6 cm at 2,014 m).

Friday: a second wave

Thursday 22 is almost dry, then a new weather system arrives on Friday 23. The model then forecasts 11 cm at La Clusaz, 10 cm at Le Grand-Bornand, 9 cm at Flaine, Sixt and Saint-Gervais, and 8 cm at Chamonix. The seven-day totals add up both episodes and are less certain than Wednesday's figures: a small change in temperature or track can move the rain-snow line by several hundred metres.

When do these resorts open?

None of these resorts opens for several weeks: this snow falls on closed ski areas, and early-season snow often melts before opening day. The dates announced by the resorts are on the opening calendar; an announced date is not a guarantee.

Following the snow

• Resort pages with forecasts by altitude: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, Flaine, La Clusaz
• Snow forecast by massif and the 2026-2027 opening dates
• Look at the summits on the resort webcams, which does not prove that a piste or a road is open
• Official status of Savoie mountain passes: Savoie roads

Key points

• Wednesday 21: 17 to 19 cm at the top of the Mont-Blanc and Grand Massif areas, rain in the villages.
• Friday 23: a new wave, 8 to 11 cm depending on the resort.
• These are model forecasts, refreshed every hour on AlpeSnow.