December 2024 was dry, sunny, and relatively mild in Austria
"This results in the Austrian lowlands ranking 42nd in the list of warmest Decembers in the 258-year measurement history, and the mountains ranking 31st in the 174-year mountain measurement series," Orlik continues.
December 2024 in Austria was dry
Compared to the climate period 1961 to 1990, December in the lowlands was 2.1 degrees and in the mountains 1.9 degrees above average. The highest temperature in December 2024 was 16.4 degrees, measured on December 16 in Gleisdorf (Styria, 377 meters above sea level) and on December 19 in Kernhof-St. Aegyd (Lower Austria, 678 meters). The lowest temperature in the GeoSphere Austria measurement network was -22.6 degrees on December 23 at Brunnenkogel (Tyrol, 3,437 meters).
Averaged over the entire area of Austria, 35 percent less precipitation fell than in an average December. This made it the driest December since 2016. The regional evaluation shows large differences: In the west and north of Austria, the fronts occasionally moving in from the Atlantic brought reasonably average amounts of precipitation. In the east and south, however, it was significantly too dry.
Snow cover in December 2024 varied greatly
The number of days with snow cover in the mountainous region from Arlberg to Ausseerland was roughly in line with the multi-year average. Further east and south in Austria, this was only the case from about 1,000 meters above sea level. Away from the Alps, there was significantly less snow than in an average December. The slightly higher areas, such as the Mühlviertel and the Waldviertel, recorded 50 to 80 percent fewer days with a snow cover. Below 500 meters above sea level, it remained almost completely snow-free, while in an average December there are about seven days with snow cover.
Averaged over the area of Austria, the number of hours of sunshine in December 2024 was 23 percent above the multi-year average. This made it one of the ten sunniest Decembers in the 100-year sunshine measurement series. The regional evaluation shows large differences: In Vorarlberg, parts of North Tyrol and in Salzburg, the number of hours of sunshine largely corresponded to the multi-year average. In the Innviertel, persistent fog fields often held and there were ten to 50 percent fewer hours of sunshine than average. The south and east of Austria, on the other hand, were very sunny and recorded 30 to 50 percent more hours of sunshine than average, in some cases up to 80 percent.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.