The weather White Christmas in Switzerland probably only above 800 meters altitude
Switzerland will probably only see a white Christmas this year above 800 meters above sea level and in Alpine valleys. This is the forecast of the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss.
21.12.2024, 16:05
SDA
Between 600 and 800 meters, however, there is a chance of snow cover on Christmas Eve in the foothills of the Alps and towards the east, according to the MeteoSwiss blog on Saturday. Below 600 meters, there will only be a thin layer of snow or slush in places.
The snow will be brought by a cold front that is part of a strong and extensive low called "Enol". From Saturday evening, this will initially direct a warm front to the north side of the Alps. As the precipitation sets in, the snow line north of the Alps will rise to 1200 to 1500 meters.
As soon as the cold front arrives, the snow line will drop to 500 to 700 meters by Sunday evening. The precipitation will be accompanied by strong winds of 70 to 110 kilometers per hour on the northern side of the Alps on Sunday, with gale-force winds of up to 140 km/h blowing in the mountains above 2000 meters from Sunday.
It will also snow on Monday. However, as temperatures at lower altitudes will be slightly above zero, "the snow will struggle to settle permanently at altitudes below around 600 meters", according to MeteoSwiss. By Christmas Eve, meteorologists expect up to 125 centimetres of snow within 75 hours at central locations in the Alps.
On its natural hazards portal, the federal government warns of considerable dangers from snow in large parts of the Alps, for example on roads between Sunday and Tuesday, and of level 3 avalanche danger (considerable).
