Winter is coming: Vienna and valley regions of Austria could see snow this weekend
As temperatures and the snow line are dropping, more and more places in Austria could be covered in snow in the coming days. Here's the forecast.
After a warm October and even some mild days in early November, temperatures are dropping in Austria. There might even be light snowfall in Vienna this weekend, according to Austria's meteorologic institute ZAMG.
A high-pressure area blowing cold air from the Czech Republic and Slovakia could push for snow in the Austrian capital on Saturday - though no more than one centimetre of fresh snow, meteorologist Konstantin Brandes told Kurier.
Until then, Vienna stays cloudy and even rainy, with almost no sun in the coming days. Depending on the region, daily maximum temperatures will be between 4C to 15C on Thursday and 4C to 11C on Friday.
READ ALSO: Reader question: Is travelling to Austria this winter worth it?
Snow line continues to drop
The areas affected by the cold air will also have a higher chance of seeing snow. The snow line drops to between 300m and 400m, meaning that regions such as Weinviertal, Waldviertel in Lower Austria or Mühlviertel in Upper Austria could see up to three centimetres of new snow.
Screenshot from ZAMG showing the weather forecast for Saturday, November 19th
"Snowfall all the way to the valleys is perfectly normal in mid to late November," said meteorologist Brandes. He added: "But people have gotten used to the mild weather and forget that winter is approaching."
Towards the weekend, polar air coming in from the Atlantic should reach the western half of Austria, bringing plummeting temperatures to the region as well, Austrian media reported.
A cold mass coming from Italy could bring the first "snow event" to Austria, with areas in Western Tirol and Upper Carinthian seeing some intensive snowfall from Tuesday.
Green ski resorts
The change in temperatures will be most welcome in Austrian ski resorts and towns. On many ski slopes, there are only small piles of snow at the moment - with some places not seeing any snow.
The most snow on the mountain is on the glaciers in Tyrol. The Hintertux glacier, for example, has 80 centimetres of snow. In the skiing area, which lies between 2,660 and 3,250 metres above sea level, as many as 14 lifts are open.
READ ALSO: Is skiing still possible on Austria’s glaciers?
On the other hand, in the upmarket ski resort of Kitzbühel, everything is green except for the mountain peaks. In Brixen im Thale, only one out of 87 ski lifts is open.
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After a warm October and even some mild days in early November, temperatures are dropping in Austria. There might even be light snowfall in Vienna this weekend, according to Austria's meteorologic institute ZAMG.
A high-pressure area blowing cold air from the Czech Republic and Slovakia could push for snow in the Austrian capital on Saturday - though no more than one centimetre of fresh snow, meteorologist Konstantin Brandes told Kurier.
Until then, Vienna stays cloudy and even rainy, with almost no sun in the coming days. Depending on the region, daily maximum temperatures will be between 4C to 15C on Thursday and 4C to 11C on Friday.
READ ALSO: Reader question: Is travelling to Austria this winter worth it?
Snow line continues to drop
The areas affected by the cold air will also have a higher chance of seeing snow. The snow line drops to between 300m and 400m, meaning that regions such as Weinviertal, Waldviertel in Lower Austria or Mühlviertel in Upper Austria could see up to three centimetres of new snow.
"Snowfall all the way to the valleys is perfectly normal in mid to late November," said meteorologist Brandes. He added: "But people have gotten used to the mild weather and forget that winter is approaching."
Towards the weekend, polar air coming in from the Atlantic should reach the western half of Austria, bringing plummeting temperatures to the region as well, Austrian media reported.
A cold mass coming from Italy could bring the first "snow event" to Austria, with areas in Western Tirol and Upper Carinthian seeing some intensive snowfall from Tuesday.
Green ski resorts
The change in temperatures will be most welcome in Austrian ski resorts and towns. On many ski slopes, there are only small piles of snow at the moment - with some places not seeing any snow.
The most snow on the mountain is on the glaciers in Tyrol. The Hintertux glacier, for example, has 80 centimetres of snow. In the skiing area, which lies between 2,660 and 3,250 metres above sea level, as many as 14 lifts are open.
READ ALSO: Is skiing still possible on Austria’s glaciers?
On the other hand, in the upmarket ski resort of Kitzbühel, everything is green except for the mountain peaks. In Brixen im Thale, only one out of 87 ski lifts is open.
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