The dreamy winter weather in the north is coming to an end. A westerly flow brings milder air and snow in the west and south.
Current situation & outlook
After the persistent northerly flow and the associated low temperatures (and accumulating precipitation), the current is slowly turning to the west. We come under the influence of a very zonal jet, at least in the short term, and a low pressure system between Newfoundland and Scotland brings mild air to us from the front of the trough. While it snows in the west and south-west on Friday with a moving snow line, a foehn will set in in the north, which should break down at some point early on Saturday. The Atlantic low is moving eastwards and on Saturday a small cold front should also bring some snow to the north, or freezing rain at low altitudes to the delight of all drivers. At the moment, it looks like cooler temperatures will return after the weekend, everything else is uncertain...
Eastern cold vs. western weather
There is a bitterly cold high over Siberia that is struggling for influence with the Atlantic lows from the westerly drift. The model globes are unsure how the showdown will end and are predicting all possible variants between persistent westerly swamp and easterly frost in the medium term. The former would mean classic, rather mild, rather damp westerly winter weather, with slush in the lowlands and snow at least in the west. Depending on whether the Atlantic lows shoveled in prefer a more southerly or a more northerly route, things will look better for one side or the other of the main ridge.
Earthquake in the Stubai Alps
Finally, it should be mentioned that there was a magnitude 3.2 earthquake in the Stubai Alps last week on the evening of December 6. In case anyone was wondering, it was the tectonic fault zones in the neighborhood, not Santa Claus.
