Austria Climate

Austria is within a temperate climatic and has four seasons.  However there are regional variations as the country has a diverse terrain and a wide east-west expanse; and the weather is tempered by the presence of the Alps.

In the east, the climate is subject to continental influence – low precipitation, hot summers but only moderately cold winters.  In the Alpine Region, there is generally high precipitation, short summers and long winters.  In the west, the climate is influenced by the Atlantic air from the Gulf Stream, resulting in mild air and precipitation.

The south and southeast are influenced by the continental and Mediterranean systems, resulting in fewer clouds and warmer air.

Occasionally, a warm air mass called fohn in Austria would come from the African Sahara, sometimes raising the temperature by 10°C or more in a short time.  This could thaw the snow on the mountains and cause avalanches.