Spring feeling in the Alps!

While Munich continues to experience the sub-zero temperatures (often below -10) that have engulfed it since early January, spring feeling has arrived in the Alps with temperatures up to 12 degrees warmer in Garmisch-Partenkirchen than in Munich. This is due to a meteorological effect called a temperature inversion which literally inverts the normal conditions and results in higher temperatures as altitude increases, rather than the normal decrease in temperature with increasing altitude. It is also the reason for the fact that Munich can be covered throughout the day with a heavy cloud-like mist whereas just a few kilometres to the south the skies are blue and the sun is shining.



A temperature inversion occurs when the ground becomes very cold and cools the layer of air directly above it (in particular at night). This layer of air cools quicker than the air above it and its relative density therefore results in it remaining close to the ground and not rising. Meanwhile the warmer layer of air above is increasingly warmed during the day by the sun leading to an accentuation of the temperature difference. As air is a relatively poor conductor of heat the cold layer of air close to the ground fails to heat up enough on some days to rid itself of the mist. The ground therefore remains cold and the process repeats itself.



Temperature inversions can also have other side effects such as being able to receive radio signals or hear loud sounds over unusually long distances. This is because the sound and radio signals are reflected back down to earth by the inversion (the point where cold air and warm air meet) rather than dissipating upwards as is usual. It is also associated with cloudless skies as the normal system of air rising by convection and then cooling to form clouds is prevented.

So the moral is, even if it is grey and cold in the city, it's well worth a trip to the Alps!

Current temperatures:

Munich -10 C, Garmisch-Partenkirchen +2 C (+6 in the sunshine)

This weather phenomenon also happened a year ago in mid-December 2004.

See the previous TT topic: Inverted weather and freezing fog

Yep. It was +2 at the top of the Hauser-Kaibling on Sunday and -5 at the bottom. Great skiing and sunbathing weather!!

oh yeah well I searched 'inversion' and found nothing

I will test the theory in practice tomorrow and report back!

What will this do to Königssee? I was thinking of going there this weekend.

This is not good news for skiing, unless you like skiing on sheet ice..

It's currently +1.4 degrees C at the top of Zugspitze (just shy of 3,000m above sea level) and -9 degrees C at Munich Airport (500m asl). (Stats from Wetter.com.)

With regards to Königssee, I would imagine that the lake will stay sufficiently frozen. Although the temperature does rise above freezing point during the day, it's only for 5-6 hours max. The other 18 hours of the day the temperature plunges down to as low as -12 degrees C. If anything, that layer of ice is getting thicker. (He says optimistically...)

Königssee is in a similar situation in terms of altitude etc to Munich so should remain frozen I guess. Maybe some snow at the weekend too

Hutcho. The piste conditions were great in the ski Amade area at the weekend (even better when the day trippers went home!).

I was at Sudelfeld myself on Sunday - the snow wasn't too bad then but that was at the start of the warm spell.. if that snow melts for a few days (like it is now) and then we get back to normal temperatures where it is under 0 all day, then that slush is going to freeze into ice and it won't unfreeze making conditions terrible..

We need a good dumping of snow down there.. at least 50cm, and unfortunatley I can't see any on the horizon...

Wait till Sunday! St. Johann Weather

We getting snow this week in Ski Amade area too. Schladming area has 98% snow cannon coverage so a good bed of snow is assured. I wish the bloody day-tripping tourists would not come and mogul the slopes though.

I was at Spitzingsee today and it was so damned hot. Almost too hot, I kept wishing I'd left all my gear behind.
Really beautiful weather down there at the moment - crystal clear.

St. Anton was great from friday until Monday - and then I came home Sunday and Monday were like springtime, and conditions were perfect. Lots of snow and more coming next week so things will be fine. Stop worrying, there's lots of skiing left this year!

great, I'll check it out tomorrow!

Königsee was fine today. Below freezing except in the sun. Some 'interesting' noises where the sun was warming the ice though! Loads of people for a weekday & the buses and trains were bolloxed but still worth doing.

Königsee is always, nearly, in shadow and is really cold in winter. In summer it`s about 2Cs, the water I mean. I know I jumped in after an 8 hour hike over the Steinener?? Meer. Jebus!! I thought I`d lost me willy for about 1/2 hour or so.

Lost it on an escalator? Oooooh, I can't wait till I hear the ice cracking and snapping! P.S. Steinernes Meer.

Thank you, sarabyrd. I actually haven`t ben on a broken one for ages although I have see loads of people milling around waitng for them at Ü-Bahn stations. Poor bastards should use the lifts, they`re never broken.

As Marshy said, difficult not to be overdressed. Very nice up there. Mist didn't clear until around 700m but above that very clear.

Alptastic!