Precipitation Remained Limited in February

This year, February was very dry in Austria. According to the evaluation by Geosphere Austria, there was 66 percent less precipitation than in an average February. "Such a dry February statistically occurs every five to seven years," said climatologist Alexander Orlik on Monday. In the past 30 years, it has only been drier three times, namely in the years 1998, 2003, and most recently in 2011.

Significantly less new snow was also recorded. Below 1,000 meters above sea level, there was 87 percent less new snow in the second month of the year on average across Austria compared to a typical February. In areas between 1,000 and 1,500 meters, the deficit was 75 percent, and above 1,500 meters, it was 60 percent.

No New Snow in Vienna

In Kufstein in Tyrol, for example, there was no new snow in February. In an average February from 1991 to 2020, it was still 45 centimeters. There was also no new snow in Vienna (average 14 centimeters), in Kremsmünster in Upper Austria (average 23 centimeters), in Reichenau/Rax in Lower Austria (average 31 centimeters), and in Eisenstadt in Burgenland (average ten centimeters) in February. In Deutschlandsberg in Styria, seven centimeters fell, compared to an average of 24 centimeters in the comparison period.

In the lowlands, temperatures were 1.0 degrees above the average of the climate period 1991 to 2020, according to the analysis. On the mountains, it was 2.2 degrees milder than the average. "This ranks Austria's lowlands 45th in the series of the warmest February months in the 258-year measurement history and the mountains 23rd in the 174-year mountain measurement series," stated the release from Geosphere Austria. The number of sunshine hours was also above the long-term average.

Snowdrops and Hazel

The weather conditions allowed the development of vegetation to start a little earlier. The blooming of snowdrops, for example, began on average across Austria on February 16, 2025, three days earlier than the long-term average from 1991 to 2020. The blooming of hazel began on average across Austria on February 15, four days earlier than the long-term average of the comparison period.

Within the scientific community, there is a consensus that human-induced climate change, through the emission of climate-damaging greenhouse gases, is causing temperatures to rise ever faster.

(APA/Red)

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