The weather is doing what is widely expected before the semester break. Fresh snow is on the horizon from the middle of next week, as served for the start of the vacations in Lower Austria and Vienna next Saturday.
The still prevailing high “Beate” begins to weaken gradually before a current fully displaces it from the northwest, bringing moist air masses. According to forecasts, it will start snowing in valleys from 500 to 700 meters – quite abundantly: the models predict 30 to 50 centimetres. The higher the region, the more: ski resorts can expect up to one meter of new snow, which is quite a normal amount for this time of year in a long-term comparison.
Forecasts for periods more than three days in the future are generally vague. Still, two things seem certain as things stand: the snowfall will begin around Wednesday evening and divide Austria. While the west with Vorarlberg and Tyrol, as well as parts of Salzburg and Upper Styria up to the Mariazeller Land, will get the bulk of the precipitation, it is only enough for small amounts for the Semmering area – and for the east and south of the country probably nothing remains.
But this is already fairly distributed, notes the expert, because “now exactly those regions get snow, which have not received anything so far.” So even if the ski resorts in Carinthia and Styria go empty next week, they are already abundantly supplied with natural snow due to this week’s precipitation.
Power outages and snow-free
These were quantities, but they also led to massive problems: Up to 7,000 households in Styria and 5,000 in Carinthia were temporary without electricity at the beginning of the week because falling trees had cut lines. On Tuesday, schoolchildren were snow-free in severely affected areas of Carinthia. Some ski resorts also shut down lifts and suspended operations because there was too much snow; it was also too stormy. However, the January balance will be too dry despite the recent snowfall. The expected new snow will not be able to compensate for this – it will already fall into the February balance.
Mild in the middle of the week
But before the new snow starts, it will be mild again. For Monday, meteorologist Zimmermann expects daily highs between minus one and six degrees, depending on the region, and between zero and seven degrees on Tuesday. On Wednesday, there should be peak values of four to ten degrees. Usually, for the end of January, the beginning of February would be two to four degrees in the lowlands.
From Thursday, the temperatures will drop again; thus, the fresh snow will increase. The daily highs drop from minus one degree to a maximum of plus six degrees, but only in the south.
- Source: kurier.at/picture:
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