IPCC

Spring has arrived not only in terms of the calendar but also astronomically and in terms of skiing. The weather is correspondingly mild and increasingly unstable towards the end of the week, with "April weather" tendencies also in evidence. Maybe even colder with precipitation next week? Otherwise: Another IPCC report. The content is not surprising, but still important.

After the dry, dusty March, the unsettled April weather is a relief, at least according to the WeatherBlog. Finally something is happening again! In the last few days, with fresh snow and low temperatures, there has even been a real winter feeling, even if the base unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. It will continue to be changeable and stormy until the weekend, then the weather should calm down.

The Alpine region lies under a large-scale high-pressure bridge that stretches from the Azores to the Baltic Sea. With a generally flat pressure distribution, a low pressure system in south-eastern Europe is holding back and dampening temperatures. The calm, mostly sunny weather is expected to continue until the weekend.

The last issue of this column dealt with the so-called planetary boundaries, which show how much change the system can tolerate in various areas and at what point it becomes critical. It is not only in the context of planetary boundaries that the discourse on environmental change is increasingly focusing on tipping points. What is behind the buzzword?

Climate protection, environmental protection, nature conservation. All the same thing - or not? We set out in search of an answer and asked ourselves whether doing without plastic actually protects the climate.

Mountain glaciers and the seasonal snow cover play an important role in the local and regional water balance. When they change, the hydrological conditions also change - not only in the direct catchment areas, but possibly also far downstream. What exactly does this mean and what are the consequences, apart from "it's bad for the ski resorts" and "it looks stupid"?

It is and remains omega-like spring. There is still powder, but it can only be found by searching and luck, as the wind and sun have been hard at work.

It is currently becoming clear how little sense the idea of "good" and "bad" weather makes. If you have too much of one, it soon becomes the other. The extremely dry November is increasing the risk of forest fires, particulate matter concentrations in the basins are reaching record levels and, unsurprisingly, almost all ski resorts without glaciers are postponing their openings. Some weather stations in the Alps will probably end November with 0.0 mm of precipitation.