El Niño 2023/2024 | Time to Book Your Ski Holiday

This winters El Niño is positive for skiers as the predictions are for Arctic invasions and a wavier jet stream.

Following a mild October, the Alps has encountered consistently colder temperatures in November and December accompanied by substantial early snowfalls. Ski holiday bookings are beginning to surge compared to last year, skiers and ski holiday suppliers like us at Ski Line are closely monitoring webcams and ski holiday prices for our clients.

Long-Range Weather Forecast for Winter 2023/2024

The winter forecast for Europe in 2023/2024 holds great promise for skiing enthusiasts! Climatologists anticipate an El Niño winter, but what exactly is it, and how might it impact snowfall in the Alps?

El Niño and La Niña have their most pronounced effects on global climate during the Northern Hemisphere winter. If meteorologists are accurate about an impending El Niño, what does this mean for snowfall in the Alps? The last El Niño occurred in winter 2018-19, resulting in substantial snowfall after a warm start to the season, with January 2019 breaking numerous snow records, including in Austria which saw an incredible seven meters of powder in as many days!

El Niño is a complex weather pattern that occurs approximately every 2-7 years, stemming from variations in ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. This phenomenon will significantly influence global weather patterns. Despite experiencing the La Niña weather pattern for the last three years, this changed to El Niño by August and predictions are that a so-called block over Iceland and warmer weather in the Iberian landmass will likely cause huge waves in the jet stream bringing freezing temperatures from the Arctic in Mid-January to late February, resulting in huge snowfall across the alpine regions of Europe and Scandinavia ski areas.

Ski Line thinks now is the time to book your trip to the Alps, as skiing conditions improve, prices and demand will rise as the market heats up.