ASFINAG gears up

Snow and black ice expected at the weekend

An ASFINAG snow plow on the highway (archive photo)

(Bild: Asfinag)

The weather will be changeable next weekend. Rain will be followed by sunshine and snow, as forecast by Geosphere Austria on Thursday. The highway operator ASFINAG warned of black ice.

According to Geosphere Austria, it will initially rain widely on the northern side of the Alps on Friday. The snow line is between 1300 and 1800 meters above sea level. On Friday morning, there will be a local and temporary risk of black ice due to freezing rain from Vorarlberg to Lower Austria. As the day progresses, the clouds will clear, especially in the south and west, and the sun will shine at times.

In the north and east, however, it will remain cloudy and rainy. The snow line will drop to between 800 and 100 meters by the evening. The wind will blow moderately to briskly from the west in places. Early temperatures will be between minus seven and plus four degrees, with daytime highs between one and ten degrees.

Here you can see a preview from Geosphere Austria.

Rain or snow from Sunday
Saturday will bring thick clouds in almost all parts of the country. There will only be some sunshine in the south and south-east. In the morning it will still be raining sporadically with a snow line between 700 and 1800 meters. More rain is expected during the afternoon. Temperatures in the morning will be between minus six and plus four degrees, with daytime highs between two and eleven degrees. It will be warmest on Saturday in Vorarlberg.

Rain, sleet and snow will follow on Sunday. The snow line will fluctuate between 600 and 1100 meters. The wind will blow from the east. Early temperatures will be between minus four and plus four degrees, with daily highs between zero and five degrees.

It will snow all over the country on Monday, with the first light snowfall expected in the Vienna area. The highway operator ASFINAG warned of freezing rain and promised to be on duty with additional personnel. It also appealed to drivers to only drive with winter equipment, to adapt their speed to the conditions and to increase the distance to the vehicle in front.