Snow in parts of Vienna

Winter wonderland unfortunately only comes from the factory

Wonderful pictures - unfortunately the snow is industrial snow.

(Bild: Ulrike Peuker)

Some people in Donaustadt and Floridsdorf may have been happy about the snow that trickled out of the high fog on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. However, meteorologists have to disappoint: The flakes are industrial snow. We will have to wait for "natural" snow. 

On New Year's Eve, many Viennese were probably relatively surprised by the photos that friends from Donaustadt and Floridsdorf sent and posted. While the sidewalks in the other districts were dry, Kagran, Stadlau and Gerasdorf (Lower Austria) were covered in snow and looked like a winter wonderland. 

Simmering or Lobau oil port as the cause
However, the origin of the snow is not natural, as Ubimet weather expert Konstantin Brandes revealed to the "Krone" newspaper. The few centimetres are industrial snow that trickled down from the high fog. The origin is unclear, but is probably somewhere in Simmering or near the Lobau oil storage facility. 

Many Viennese were surprised when they looked out of their windows on New Year's Eve.

(Bild: Privat, Krone KREATIV)

Two cars recovered by the fire department
As the professional fire department knows, the rather slippery snow also caused some problems on New Year's Eve. According to spokesman Lukas Schauer, a car left the road in Donaustadt and skidded over an embankment. The driver was not injured. Another vehicle was unable to move forward on an ascending snowy road and had to be pulled with a cable winch. 

Unfortunately, snow is rather unlikely in Vienna in the coming week. Double-digit plus temperatures are even more likely.

Ubimet-Wetterexperte Konstantin Brandes

Double-digit plus degrees possible instead of snowflakes
According to Brandes, we will probably have to do without further snowfall for the time being. After the icy days - the high fog should clear during the course of the day tomorrow - a cold front will arrive in the late evening with rain and slightly higher temperatures as well as a few snowflakes at most. On Sunday, too, only freezing rain is likely to fall from the sky. From Epiphany onwards, it could even return to double-digit plus temperatures in places. However, the models are still divided.