Snow line is dropping

Where a white Christmas is still possible this year

Will we be shoveling snow at Christmas?(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

A cold front will cause the snow line to drop to an altitude of 500 meters in the coming days. Above this altitude, you can hope for a white Christmas - but below this level, it is very likely to remain green on Christmas Eve.

The question arises every year: will we have a white Christmas this year? The chances have certainly increased in some parts of the country this year. "On Sunday, a warm front will initially move through the country, followed immediately by a cold front. The snow line will then drop to 700 meters," says Claudia Riedl, meteorologist at GeoSphere Austria.

Up to half a meter of snow
The snow line will drop even further from Monday. It is expected to snow down to an altitude of 500 meters. "But below that, such as in the central region, there won't be any snow. The heaviest snowfall is expected during the night from Monday to Tuesday. The further west, the more snow will fall. On the mountains in the Salzkammergut, half a meter is quite possible by 24 December," says Riedl.

High pressure influence from Thursday
According to the expert, this means that everyone above an altitude of 500 meters can hope for a white Christmas. "It could at least be sugary," say the weather forecasters. In the lowlands, hardly any precipitation is expected at Christmas - and if there is, it will be rain or sleet. In the mountains, it should be nice and wintry. "After that, the weather will calm down again. And from Thursday onwards, we'll be firmly back in the grip of high pressure," predicts Riedl.