Snow Rarely Finds Its Way to Vienna

When older generations talk about how it used to snow much more often in Vienna than it does today, it's more than just a personal impression. In the 1950s, there were an average of up to 50 days in Vienna with a closed snow cover, but this number has reduced to 32 in the 2000s. The reason for this, according to Geosphere Austria, is climate change.

Snow Record in Vienna Dates Back Decades

The average winter temperature in Austria has risen by about 0.25 degrees per decade since the 1930s, leading to a decrease in both snow depth and the number of days with snow cover. "There is less and less snow in Vienna - as is generally the case in the low-lying areas of Austria, below about 1,500 meters above sea level. Due to the marked global warming of recent decades, precipitation in low-lying areas often falls as rain and not as snow, and fallen snow melts faster," said Geosphere Austria climatologist Alexander Orlik. In the long term, it is also expected that the number of days with snow cover will continue to decrease.

At the weather station of Geosphere Austria on the Hohe Warte in Vienna, there were also 47 days with snow cover in an average winter in the period from 1931 to 1960, 46 days in the period from 1961 to 1990, and only 32 days in the period from 1991 to 2020. "The most days with snow cover were on the Hohe Warte with 108 in the winter of 1939/40, the fewest with just one day in the winter of 2019/20," said Orlik.

New Snow Totals Have Also Decreased

New snow totals have also decreased. While the amount in an average winter in the period from 1961 to 1990 was still 86 centimeters, it was only 50 centimeters in the period from 1991 to 2020. "The largest new snow total was on the Hohe Warte with 222 centimeters in the winter of 1969/70, the smallest with two centimeters in the winters of 2013/14 and 2019/20," said the climatologist.

In the coming years, a further reduction in snow days is expected. The number could therefore drop to less than ten days per year in Vienna, especially in the lower areas of the city. The snow depths will also decrease.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.