It has been years since it snowed so intensely in the lowlands in mid-December. “So much snow already in mid-December, that has become a rare event. Advent that was so beautifully white has not existed for a long time,” says Claudia Riedl from the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG). According to ZAMG forecasts, it will be wintry until the end of the week. After that, however, due to the growing influence of a high pressure area with the snow supply, it is over for the time being. Will the white splendor last until Christmas? “From 600 meters, it is quite likely that the snow will last until Christmas Eve,” says Riedl. But people in lower elevations can still hope for a white Christmas: “The chance for that is still alive,” says Riedl.
In the meantime, however, the whole of Upper Austria can look forward to an almost seamless blanket of snow. In Arnreit in the Rohrbach district, the Schmidlechner and Azesberger families set out on a family and cross-generational sleigh ride. Sledge driver Fritz Azesberger passes on old family knowledge. His father had already been out and about with him and his siblings in this way in the wintry Mühlviertel.
It snowed continuously yesterday in Gmunden, and it is even quieter than it was during the lockdown period. The winter service is in constant use, but in the steep alleys of the old town, people still struggle not to slip. Everyone is on the move in slow motion: the pedestrians and the cars. On the esplanade, pigeons and seagulls sit motionless on deserted boat docks. The Traunsee behind it disappears in the fog.
Thick snow drifts also prevailed in Wels yesterday, although with a temperature of zero degrees it was muddy on the streets and in the pedestrian zones and the snow cover was only a few centimeters thick. The few people on the street in the city center warmed themselves up with tea or coffee to go during their lunch break or picked up their lunch at the take-away stations in the bars.
Season start for ski areas
Take-away is currently still the buzzword for Upper Austria’s ski huts. Where the season has already started, such as on the Höss in Hinterstoder, in the Dachstein-West ski area and on the Sternstein in Bad Leonfelden, the warmth still comes from disposable cups. It will be over after the lockdown ends on December 17th – then the 2G rule will probably not only apply on the slopes, but also in the catering trade.
Because of the deep wintry conditions in early winter, the Hochficht and Kasberg ski areas will also be delighted to welcome their first skiers this weekend. Starting tomorrow, the first turns on freshly groomed slopes will be possible there. Even in the terrain, the conditions for ski and snowshoe tours are already extremely good – at least for the beginning of December. However, there is still a considerable risk of avalanches above the tree line.
Send us your most beautiful winter photos to online@nachrichten.at. The recordings are published in a picture gallery.
Source: Nachrichten
