In Transit: Nice to Zurich

Here are 14 shots of (mostly) the Southern French Alps from 11,000m (36,000 feet) to illustrate the snow cover on some of the highest peaks in the Alps on Saturday morning 6 February 2026.

The flight flew north-northeast from Nice, roughly along the border with Italy until crossing into Swiss airspace, so I can say with some certainty that most of these photos are of the French Alps. (Please by all means correct me if I am wrong with this assumption.)

I fly the route regularly throughout the year, and about half a dozen times in each direction during winter months; there are still considerable patches of green and gray but this is by far the most snow I’ve seen over these areas, a welcome if temporary reprieve for a region that has been hit hard by climate change over the past few decades. Like the Alps as a whole, the Southern French Alps are experiencing warming twice the global average, causing rapid glacier retreat, reduced snowpack and permafrost thaw. The latter is likely the cause of an increase in rockfall and avalanches recorded in recent decades. The Guardian reported in December that more than 180 ski resorts have closed in France since the 1970s at least in part due to the rapidly changing climate.

And below, 10 more shots from the last 15 minutes of approach to ZRH. At 408m, Zurich –and its immediate surroundings– is low-lying, and doesn’t typically experience snow cover throughout the winter.

It was nice to see these turbines since they’re not common. Wind is a minor player in Switzerland’s energy equation; in 2024, wind power generated just 0.3% of the country’s total electricity supply. Hydroelectric dominates, representing about 56%; nuclear is next, but the country’s 2050 Energy Strategy calls for its phase-out by 2034.

Photos from 7 February 2026.