Eisheiligen

The WeatherBlog is back again at the end of the season and is looking at the ice saints to mark the occasion.

At least I haven't missed too much skiing in the last few weeks. The snow is disappearing into the highest mountains, only the lifts are still running on the glaciers and even those will soon be closed – others may be annoyed, but when you're sitting at home waiting for broken bones to grow back together, the miserable snow conditions are a small, albeit uncooperative, consolation.

At least I haven't missed too much skiing in the last few weeks. The snow is disappearing into the highest mountains, only the lifts are still running on the glaciers and even those will soon be closed – others may be annoyed, but when you're sitting at home waiting for broken bones to grow back together, the miserable snow conditions are a small, albeit uncooperative, consolation.

In meteorology, weather conditions that occur with above-average probability on a certain date are called singularities or weather regularities. One such singularity is the much-hated Christmas thaw. While everything is often still frosty and Christmasy white just before the holidays, it starts to thaw when the presents arrive, it gets warm, it rains and not even an array of colorful fairy lights can alleviate the dreariness of muddy front gardens?