The severe weather warning center has declared the highest warning level in parts of Austria. Heavy snow and rain are expected just in time for the start of meteorological winter. Asfinag also warns motorists about dangerous situations on Austrian roads.
The snowfall and low temperatures will be especially noticeable at high altitudes, such as on the Tauernautobahn (A10). According to current forecasts, up to one meter of fresh snow may fall here this weekend, with the resulting precipitation on Saturday night.
However, caution also applies at lower altitudes, such as the Vienna Outer Ring Motorway (A21), where snowfall and icy conditions may also occur. Asfinag will have its highway maintenance departments fully operational and advises road users to adjust their speed and increase the distance to the vehicle in front.
ARBÖ reminds you of the obligation to use winter tires
ARBÖ traffic experts also warned of the onset of winter and reminded people, among other things, about the use of winter tires and about the penalties for violating the winter tire requirement. It is also recommended to reduce the speed by 30 percent if the road is already wet, by 50 percent if the road is snowy and by 70 percent if the road is slippery.
Weather forecast for the weekend
There is currently a prominent air mass boundary over the Alpine region. The Severe Weather Warning Center (UWZ) explains it this way: “While cold air masses of Arctic origin arrive on the north side of the Alps, warm, moist air of subtropical origin spreads in the Mediterranean. Such a weather situation is called a ‘border weather situation’ by meteorologists, because there are striking weather contrasts in a small area.
There will still be heavy rain in the south for the time being. In the far north it often snows at low altitudes. In between, with a snowfall line between 300 and 1300 meters, snow, sleet and rain will fall in a small area with a local risk of freezing rain. On the southern side of the Alps, precipitation will increase towards Friday evening and the snow line will slowly decrease. The wind will be light to moderate.
Icy temperatures and strong winds
The low pressure center will be above northern Italy on Saturday. It will remain cloudy everywhere with widespread, sometimes heavy snowfall. In the beginning it still rains south of the main Alpine ridge, about 1000 meters above sea level. The snow line will soon drop to the valley areas as rainfall remains intense. On the eastern edge of the Alps there is a strong west to north wind, which significantly increases the feeling of cold. Early temperatures are expected to be minus six to plus two degrees, and maximum daytime temperatures will be minus three to plus four degrees.
In the west and south there is plenty of sun on Sunday, usually from early in the morning. However, in the mountains and in the north and east, residual clouds may sometimes persist until the morning. The wind from the west to northwest is moderate to strong during the day and can significantly increase the feeling of cold. In the morning temperatures are minus ten to minus two degrees, and during the day it remains icy in many places with minus four to a maximum of plus one degree.
Source: Krone
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