Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

WEATHER

Winter weather set to make a comeback in Austria

Just as thermometers reached double digits, cooler temperatures are about to hit Austria again, and the Alps could see fresh snow over the weekend.

Published: 24 March 2023 12:11 CET
Winter weather set to make a comeback in Austria
The Schoenbrunn Palace is seen during snowfall in Vienna on January 23, 2023. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP)

Austrians were ready to embrace spring weather, with temperatures reaching 20C in the last couple of days. However, winter is about to make a comeback at least for now, according to the forecast of Geosphere Austria, the country’s meteorologic institute.

Initially, it will be very mild once again, but from Friday, the weather will become more unsettled and a significant cooling is expected, with rain or snow on the northern side of the Alps. 

Particularly on Monday it will cool down even further and it will be stormy in most parts of the country, the institute said.

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Der Blitzfrühling

Cloudy weekend

Saturday will alternate with sun and a few denser clouds until the evening. Especially in the mountainous and hilly areas, rain showers are to be expected with a snow line around 1,500 metres above sea level.

Early temperatures will range from 2C to 1C, with daytime highs from 11C to 17C.

READ ALSO: Top tips to protect yourself from storms in Austria

From the west, more clouds will move in on Sunday and especially in the mountains there will be some showers, and there could be more rain in the afternoon.

In the evening, clouds will begin to break up in the west. Winds will be light to moderate, and at higher altitudes it will be brisk. Early temperatures will range from 1C to 8C, with daytime highs from 9C to 18C.

Sunny but cold spells on Monday

Clouds will continue to move through on Monday, with sunny spells. On the northern side of the Alps, the clouds will remain mostly dense all day and it will rain or snow, the snow line will drop from initially around 700 metres to low elevations. 

Away from the northern areas, there will be short showers. The wind is set to shift from west to northwest and it could even be stormy. Early temperatures will only reach -1C to 7C, with daily highs of 4C to 13C. Lower temperatures are expected on the northern side of the Alps. The highest temperatures are in the southeast.

READ ALSO: Colds and flu: What to do and say if you get sick in Austria

On Tuesday, the weather calms down a bit, with fewer clouds and storms. However, on the northern side of the Alps, dense clouds will persist and it will still snow at times. Away from the mountains, short showers will continue with some bursts of sunshine.

The snow line will be at low altitudes, in the west it will gradually rise to around 400 metres in the afternoon. Early temperatures of -6C to 0C and daytime highs of 4C to 8C are expected. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

WEATHER

Weather warning: Snow and rain to hit large parts of Austria

Despite bouts of sunny weather, the cold will continue and snow is expected to arrive in Austria this week. Here's what you can expect.

Published: 12 April 2023 16:25 CEST
Weather warning: Snow and rain to hit large parts of Austria

On Wednesday, a cold front from the west is reaching Austria, and expected to spread on Thursday, bringing heavy rains and snow, according to UBIMET weather experts.

On the mountains, more significant amounts of new snow will accumulate once again. The rains will gradually decrease at the weekend, but temperatures are still cold for mid-April. 

From the middle of the night to Thursday, rain and snowfall will spread to large parts of the country, from Vorarlberg over the Salzburg region to the Mühlviertel and later also from East Tyrol to Lower Carinthia it will rain or snow, sometimes heavily. 

READ ALSO: Top tips to protect yourself from storms in Austria

The snow line will gradually drop to about 800 to 1000 m, so a few centimetres of fresh snow can be expected in the central and western mountainous areas.

On Thursday, there will be frequent heavy rain, especially in the south, with the snow line fluctuating between 700 and 1000 metres. Therefore, large amounts of fresh snow is expected, especially in the central and southern mountainous regions.

From Vorarlberg to Upper Austria, the rain will decrease during the day, but the sun will appear at most in the far west for a short time. The wind north of the Alps will be moderate to brisk from westerly directions.

Weather warning in Austria for rain and snow (Screenshot: ZAMG)

On Friday, heavy rain from Salzburg across the Mostviertel eastward, especially in the Waldviertel and Weinviertel. The snow line will rise to about 900 metres. In the west and south, some precipitation will fall at first, but it will dry up during the day with a few sunny intervals, most likely in the Rhine and Inn valleys. 

READ ALSO: What is Austria’s official emergency-warning phone app, and do I need it?

Austria’s meteorologic institute ZAMG also warns of the rain and snow arriving as early as Thursday and winter conditions continuing over the weekend. 

Winter tyres

Until Saturday, April 15th, people in Austria driving their cars need to have fitted winter tyres (or proper equipment) if they are driving in “winter conditions”. That includes snow or ice water. 

READ ALSO:  Everything you need to know about driving in Austria in winter

Since the weather over winter had been relatively mild, with less snow, many decided to change their tyres for summer ones before mid-April, but that could be risky depending on the situation, especially near the Alps, where fresh snow is expected for the coming days. 

You can read more about winter and summer tyre regulations HERE.

SHOW COMMENTS