White Christmas unlikely – mild thaw from Monday

At the beginning of next week it will be significantly milder from western Austria with maximum temperatures of up to plus ten degrees Celsius. The rather low prospect of a white Christmas, which was predicted by the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) on Wednesday, is also supported by the current forecast from Thursday.

Rain, snow and freezing rain

On Friday, however, it will still rain and snow frequently at first because, with a few exceptions, the sky will be overcast. The snowfall line is north of the main Alpine ridge between low altitudes and around 500 meters above sea level, further south and south-east, however, between 500 and 1,000 meters. In parts of Carinthia, southern Styria and Burgenland there can also be ice from freezing rain. While it rains or snows continuously in some parts of the west, there is a longer break in the east half of the rain until the afternoon. Only from the middle of the afternoon does snow fall again from the south down to low altitudes. In addition, there is usually a weak wind from north-western directions, in the east it picks up moderately. In the morning minus four to plus two degrees are expected, during the day a maximum of minus one to plus five degrees, with the higher values ​​in the south-east of Austria.

Also on Saturday morning the sky is often overcast and to the east of the Hohe Tauern and Upper Austria it is still snowing extensively and sometimes intensively. However, the snowfall generally decreases by noon and in the course of the afternoon the cloud cover slowly loosens. Further to the west, on the other hand, the sun can already prevail in the morning. It will also remain largely dry here until the evening. The wind comes from the northwest and blows moderately to briskly in the foehn valleys in the south and in the eastern lowlands. The temperatures in the morning between minus seven and plus one degree will be replaced by maximum daily temperatures of minus three to plus three degrees.

On Sunday the air pressure will rise and more and more calm winter weather will prevail. In the Danube region, the Rhine valley and the basins in the south there are a few high fog areas, otherwise the day is often sunny and only high clouds pass through. The fog fields also become less during the day. The wind will be weak, occasionally moderate from east to south. The morning temperatures range from minus twelve to minus four degrees, the maximum daily temperatures in the west rise to up to plus four degrees, in the east only to minus four to plus one degree.

Significant thaw from the beginning of the week

On Mondays, some high clouds will pass through, often extensive and dense, especially in the northern half. To the south it remains friendlier. It should remain dry for the most part, only a few snowflakes cannot be completely ruled out on the north side of the Alps, but only very small amounts will accumulate. In the west, the snow line rises significantly. The wind usually blows weak to moderate from the south, in Lower Austria it can also freshen up at times. After early temperatures of minus ten to minus three degrees, the maximum values ​​rise to minus two to plus seven degrees, with it becoming significantly warmer from the west.

A few high clouds will pass through again on Tuesday, but the generally friendly impression will prevail. In the lowlands and north of the Danube, however, there can also be some persistent fog or high fog. The wind will be weak to moderate, on the eastern edge of the Alps also brisk from the south, in the mountains it will be slightly foehn. Early temperatures from minus seven to minus one degree, maximum daily temperatures in fog remain partly permafrost in the zero degree range, but up to ten degrees are possible in the west.