meteo-ch.ch

Passes and summits in Canton Vaud

The 10 passes and summits in Canton Vaud tracked by meteo-ch.ch — 6 road passes and 4 summits — from 1 180 to 2 971 m. Every forecast is computed at the point's real altitude, not the valley's: that is the difference between “12 °C” and “2 °C and windy”.

Pass or summitTypeAltitudeSeason
Glacier 3000 (Scex Rouge)Summit2 971 mtoute l'année
Rochers-de-NayeSummit2 042 mtoute l'année
Col de la CroixRoad pass1 778 mmai–novembre
La DôleSummit1 677 mtoute l'année
ChasseronSummit1 607 mtoute l'année
Col du PillonRoad pass1 546 mtoute l'année
Col du MarchairuzRoad pass1 447 mtoute l'année (fermetures neige)
Col des MossesRoad pass1 445 mtoute l'année
Col de la GivrineRoad pass1 228 mtoute l'année
Col du MollendruzRoad pass1 180 mtoute l'année

Opening seasons

The periods shown are those usually passable. They do not replace the day’s opening status, which depends on the latest snowfall — check with the cantonal road authorities before setting off.

Why exact altitude changes everything

Between the lowest point on this list (1 180 m) and the highest (2 971 m) lie 1 791 metres — about 11.6 °C of temperature difference in a standard atmosphere, and considerably more under a winter inversion.

A municipal forecast says nothing about a pass: the municipality's centroid is down in the valley, sometimes a thousand metres lower. That is why these points are queried at their own altitude.

See also

Do these pages say whether the pass is open?

No, and that is deliberate: meteo-ch.ch has no official source for opening status. The “season” column gives the usual period; the day's opening must be checked with the cantonal road authorities.

At what altitude is the forecast computed?

At the point's own — 2 971 m for the highest on this list. That is what separates these pages from a municipal forecast, computed at the centroid, often in the valley.