The beginning of the year is too warm – especially in the mountains
In the city of Salzburg, many use the weather on New Year’s Eve weekend for cycling. In the Salzburg Zoo, too, on Monday, given the mild temperatures, the offspring of the Southeast African sable antelope were allowed to let off steam outdoors for the first time. With a good ten degrees plus it was warm enough for the 23-day-old male: “They drink with the mother, lie down and wait until she comes back. That wouldn’t be so good in the snow. therefore they stay in the barn at the beginning. But today we took advantage of the nice weather to let him on the grounds for the first time, ”says zoo curator Lisa Sernow.
The lions and rhinos in the zoo also enjoy the mild January days. The wild animals can also confuse the warm bet.
Short pants, splashes in the guest garden
With the mild temperatures, the people of Salzburg definitely wanted to go outside – even in shorts. Instead of mulled wine, you drink splashes in the guest garden. On the Leopoldskroner Weiher in the state capital there is no ice skating, only the joggers are out and about on firm ground. “It feels like we’re ready for spring,” said a woman from Salzburg. “That is definitely not good – not for us humans, not for nature,” said an older man. “But personally it doesn’t matter to me if there’s no snow. Otherwise I always have to clear snow on the sidewalk. “
Meteorologist Michael Butschek from the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) Salzburg emphasizes that such warm weather phases are not normal for the seasons: “It is very typical for January, not for high winter, that we have such mild temperatures. But at least we are far from the records of previous years in the lowlands. The year 2015 in particular was very warm. We reached 20 degrees in the city of Salzburg. ”This year it was a maximum of 15 degrees in the state capital.
Unusually warmer beginning of the year
Record values in Obertauern, on the Rudolfshütte
In the mountains it was extremely warm around the turn of the year: In Obertauern (Pongau / Lungau) at more than 1,600 meters above sea level, the previous record of 10.5 degrees was achieved. At the Sonnblick observatory at an altitude of more than 3,100 meters it was over four degrees plus. And on the 2,300 meter high Rudolfshütte, the old extreme value of 8.5 degrees was set: “This record dates back to 1999. It was also not as warm as we were this year for a long time,” says Butschek .
Such phases could occur more and more often in the future, emphasizes the meteorologist: “The probability that we will have such mild temperatures more often due to climate change is certainly high.”