Unprecedented Summer Snowstorm Begins In The Alps; Italian Peaks Register Record-Breaking -24.6C (-12.3F); + CMEs Send Us To KP7

Europe has never been so cold and snowy so early in the season.

Unprecedented Summer Snowstorm Begins In The Alps

A potentially record-smashing summer snowstorm has commenced in the European Alps, with a few models predicting as much as 5 feet of snow hitting the highest peaks this weekend.

Early-season snow has been hitting Europe's mountains for weeks, but now it's intensifying, spreading to relatively low elevations, and even impacting nations such as the Czech Republic. Here, the Czech's saw their first snow of season on Thursday, September 12, down to 1,000m (3,280ft). Velký Javor was blanketed by a thin layer, and while the flakes didn't last long, melting in the early-September warmth, local forecasts are calling for an intensification through Friday, Saturday, and also Sunday.

The Czech Republic's first snow came on October 8 last year; September 18 the year before — the typical range.

This latest Arctic front, which has already plunged temperatures in Germany from balmy highs of 25C (77F) to winter-like lows, is colliding with moisture from the Mediterranean, resulting in a rare and powerful September snow event.

So far, accumulations have topped 35 cm (13 inches) in Germany with the snowline dropping to as low as 800 meters (2,625 feet). But this is thought to be just the beginning. Even heavier summer snow is forecast for much of the Alps through the weekend, with some models predicting totals exceeding 2 meters (6.6 feet), breaking September records with feet to spare.