Austria could be heading for one of its snowiest Christmas periods in years, with forecasts pointing to good chances of snowfall across much of the country, including parts of the east that have not seen a white Christmas for over a decade.
According to forecasts reported by vienna.at, light snowfall is possible on Christmas Eve across much of Austria, particularly in the south and east.
In Vienna, the odds of snow settling on the ground are higher than they have been in years, raising the possibility of the city’s first white Christmas since 2012.
A grey start to the week
The days leading up to Christmas will not immediately feel wintry everywhere. Meteorologists at Geosphere Austria say Monday will bring widespread fog and high fog in the lowlands of eastern Austria, with cloud ceilings between around 900 and 1,300 metres.
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Away from the fog, conditions will be sunnier and relatively mild for the time of year. Strong southerly winds are expected along the eastern edge of the Alps, with occasional foehn winds. Morning temperatures are forecast to range from minus seven to plus four degrees, while daytime highs could reach up to 12 degrees in sunnier areas.
Tuesday is expected to follow a similar pattern. Fog and high fog are likely to persist in the eastern lowlands, while other regions may see sunshine before clouds thicken later in the day. Light rain is possible in the east during the afternoon, with a risk of black ice on frozen ground.
Snow increasingly likely on Christmas Eve
Conditions are expected to change on Christmas Eve itself. Forecasts suggest thick cloud cover across much of the country, with rain or snowfall becoming widespread outside the west. The snow line is expected to drop to low altitudes in many areas, especially from the north.
Winds will generally be light to moderate, though brisk northerly to easterly winds are possible in the northern Alpine foothills. Temperatures are expected to fall during the day, increasing the chances that precipitation will fall as snow rather than rain.
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Where is a white Christmas most likely?
Not all cities have the same odds of waking up to snow on December 25th.
According to detailed projections from weather service UBIMET, western provincial capitals such as Bregenz and Innsbruck currently have very low chances of a snow cover, at under five percent.
Salzburg and Linz are also unlikely to see snow settling on the ground, though forecasts suggest snowflakes are likely to fall on Christmas Eve. The outlook improves significantly further south.
Graz and Klagenfurt are expected to have an 80 to 90 percent chance of snow cover during the holidays.
For Vienna, St. Pölten and Eisenstadt, the situation is less certain but still promising. Current estimates put the chances of a snow cover in Vienna at around 60 to 70 percent, with a much higher likelihood of snowfall even if it does not fully settle. If snow does remain on the ground, it would mark Vienna’s first white Christmas in 13 years.
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Snow beyond Christmas Eve
Snow may not be limited to Christmas Eve alone. On Christmas Day, thick clouds are expected to persist in the east and south, with occasional light snowfall, particularly in Styria and Burgenland. Elsewhere, fog patches are likely in low-lying areas, but sunnier conditions are expected further west and north.
St. Stephen’s Day is forecast to bring similar conditions, with lingering fog and occasional light snow in the southeast, while much of western Austria enjoys clearer skies. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing in many areas overnight, helping any snowfall to linger.
For many parts of Austria, this could be one of the most wintry Christmas periods in recent memory, even if not every region ends up with the classic postcard-perfect white Christmas.
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Key vocabulary
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die weißen Weihnachten – a white Christmas, meaning snow on the ground
die Hochnebelfelder – areas of persistent high fog
die Schneefallgrenze – the altitude above which precipitation falls as snow
die Glatteisgefahr – the risk of black ice on roads and pavements
der F̦hn Рa warm, dry downslope wind common in Alpine regions