20 centimeters on the mountain

Thaw, then snow: chance of a white Christmas

View from the Rauthhütte at the foot of the Hohe Munde towards the south into the Stubai Alps - 20 centimetres of snow could be added here on Friday.

(Bild: Peter Freiberger)

The "usual" Christmas thaw sets in a week before Christmas Eve this year. On Friday, a cold front will bring snow as far as the Inn Valley - then it will be exciting until Christmas Eve.

Some people try to find an oracle, others expect the "worst" because it "almost always turns out like this anyway". We're talking about the Christmas thaw. Although there is currently quite a bit of snow at higher altitudes in the Tyrolean mountains, there are only a few centimetres of white splendour underneath. And the Inn Valley is dominated by green with a strong gray tinge.

The thaw is on its way
There will be little change to this by the end of the week, as the thaw is on its way. This will already be clearly noticeable on Monday. "There will still be morning frost in the valleys at first, while it will warm up early on the mountains," predicts meteorologist Marcus Rubel from the UBIMET weather service. "At an altitude of 1,500 meters, it could be five degrees above zero," says the weather expert.

Mystical atmosphere with a view from the Höttinger Graben on the Nordkette to the cloudy Innsbruck: a good omen for a white Christmas?

(Bild: Melanie Gassler-Tischlinger)

It even announces a warm front from the southwest for Tuesday. At 1500 meters, temperatures will rise to seven degrees, and in the valleys there will be slight plus degrees during the course of the day. On Wednesday, the inversion will continue with the thaw at medium and higher altitudes.

It could be a white Christmas. However, experience shows that when cold and warm air masses fight against each other, the warm air wins.

Marcus Rubel, Meteorologe Wetterdienst UBIMET

Cooling and precipitation will then come during the night from Thursday to Friday. "On Friday morning, the snow line is likely to be around 500 meters. Up to 20 centimetres could fall in the northern slopes from the Arlberg to the Außerfern, the Karwendel and the Achensee - for example in Seefeld," predicts meteorologist Rubel. However, the forecast is still somewhat uncertain

Snow possible as far as the Inn Valley on Christmas Eve
After that, it will be as exciting as it is varied. "Cold and warm alternate. A white Christmas is not out of the question," says Rubel. That would mean snow as far as the Inn Valley.