Snowfall expected

Where will there be a white Christmas in Austria?

This year, Mother Hulda could shake out her beds just in time for the holidays and ensure a white Christmas.

(Bild: Peter Freiberger, Christof Birbaumer)

The forecast for Christmas heralds wintry weather with heavy snowfall in the north. Mostly sunny and dry weather is not expected again until St. Stephen's Day, December 26. In the west, it will start to snow from the early hours of the morning.

This year, Mother Hulda could shake out her beds just in time for the holidays and ensure a white Christmas. Snow is expected in parts of the country and the forecast promises a wintry atmosphere around Christmas Eve.

In the east and south, the clouds will clear up locally on Monday , otherwise it will remain mostly cloudy. Snow showers are possible along the northern side of the Alps, which will intensify from the west as the day progresses. Rain may be mixed in at low altitudes. It will remain mainly dry in the eastern lowlands and in the south. A brisk westerly wind will blow along the main Alpine ridge and the eastern edge of the Alps. Temperatures will be between minus seven and plus two degrees in the morning and reach a maximum of zero to five degrees.

A strong northerly current will bring dense cloud cover and heavy snowfall in places on Christmas Eve, especially in the west and north as well as in the northern slopes. There will be light snow showers on the eastern edge of the Alps, south of the main Alpine ridge there will be no precipitation. The wind will be strong to stormy in the mountains and east, otherwise brisk. Temperatures in the morning will be between minus five and plus two degrees, reaching up to four degrees during the day.

On Christmas Day , the remnants of the overnight disturbances will remain. Sleet and snowfall can be expected along the northern and eastern edge of the Alps, especially in the Upper Austrian and Lower Austrian mountains. The sky will remain mostly cloudy. The wind will be partly brisk in the east and often stormy on the main Alpine ridge. Temperatures will remain unchanged, with highs between zero and six degrees.

Boxing Day will be mostly sunny and dry. In the morning, fog patches in lowlands and near bodies of water may obscure visibility. The wind will remain mostly weak, in the far east partly brisk. Temperatures will range between minus six degrees in the morning and up to seven degrees during the day.

High pressure will bring sunny weather on Friday. Fog or high fog patches may persist in valleys and lowlands. The wind will remain weak. Temperatures will start between minus ten and zero degrees and rise to highs of minus two to plus seven degrees.