New temperature records have recently been set almost daily; on Thursday, Hartberg (Styria) had its hottest October day in recorded history, with 27.9 degrees, and on Friday, Krems an der Donau (Lower Austria) had 28.9 degrees. In Krems, the data goes back to 1936. In Vienna it was also hotter on Friday, just under 28 degrees, than ever at the end of the year.
After the hottest September in Austria’s history, the first half of October also falls into the extreme and unprecedented category. Temperatures in the lowlands are a good four degrees above the long-term average, and in the mountains the deviation is even greater, as data from GeoSphere Austria (formerly ZAMG) show. So far, October is on track for records.
Never so many summer days
The abundance of registrations in the federal states this October is extraordinary and puts everything that came before in the shadows. In Eisenstadt, seven days have already been recorded with a maximum temperature above 25 degrees; the old record for summer days in October was four. On average, there is only enough time for one summer day in Eisenstadt in October every few years.
ORF/Daniel Schrott There have been stand-up paddleboarders on the Old Danube in Vienna in recent days
In Bad Radkersburg and Bruck an der Mur (both in Styria), an impressive eight days of summer have already been recorded, more than ever at a resort in Austria in October. The previous maximum was seven summer days in Windischgarsten in October 1942.
The first frost in the next few days
What has been almost completely missing so far this fall is frost. And this even in typical alpine places, which are predestined for this on clear nights. In September and October it did not cool below zero degrees in Seefeld in Tirol or in St. Michael im Lungau (Salzburg). The first frost here rarely takes as long as it does this year.
There are even some mountains without frost so far this autumn, such as the Feuerkogel (1,618 meters, Upper Austria). October here has been as warm as the average July so far. But now the tide is changing. Following the passage of the cold front on Sunday night, significantly colder air from the North Sea is now reaching Austria.
Temperatures drop ten degrees, in some places up to a good 15 degrees. In the coming nights, sub-zero temperatures can be expected at higher altitudes and, in isolated cases, there may even be light frosts in the lowlands. For hobby gardeners, this means it’s now easier to bring heat-loving plants such as basil, bougainvillea and strelitzia indoors.
Winter in the mountains
The change is most noticeable in the mountains as they receive fresh snow. The snowfall line will fall across the low mountain ranges throughout Sunday. This creates z. B. in Obertauern, where it was still 20 degrees warm on Friday, there was a thin layer of snow. However, not much fresh snow is expected, even in the high mountains.
University of Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck Hintereisferner in the back Ötztal: Wintery this time last year, this year no snow up to the highest altitudes
At least a few centimeters are enough for the long summer to bring the glaciers to an end. The glaciers, right up to the summits, have recently been exposed to high temperatures without a protective covering of snow; lost a huge amount of ice this fall. Typically, glaciers have been covered in snow for a long time, which was also the case last year.
Cold snaps are not uncommon
The onset of winter in the mountains in mid-October is much less unusual than the recent warmth. Winter can be much harsher this time of year. In 2013 it even snowed in Innsbruck in mid-October. 40,000 families in Tyrol were temporarily without power because trees collapsed under the load. In Seefeld you can even ski on the cross-country ski slopes.
After a busy Sunday, the next few days will be quite dry and partly sunny. The nights are cold and afternoon temperatures are also slightly below the mid-October average values, generally below 15 degrees. In nature, autumn temperatures ensure that leaf coloration on deciduous trees and larches increases. Many trees are still green as in summer.
Still no winter weather in sight
For many families, cooling down means turning up the heat. However, for now a true start of winter is not expected in the lowlands. Although rather cold air will settle in Eastern Europe over the next week, calculations for Austria again show slight warming. From Wednesday the wind will turn to the southwest and the air will be more humid but also slightly warmer. Even at an altitude of 3,000 meters, temperatures rise again. In western Austria, foehn winds could reach around 20 degrees in some valleys, while the east is likely to remain somewhat unfavoured.
The last day of summer of the year in Austria seems to be over, although there is no final certainty. Last year, 25 degrees were measured in Reichenau an der Rax in Lower Austria on October 30th. October 2022 was the hottest in the history of measurements in Austria. The next two weeks will show whether this October can surpass it.