Austria’s Central Institution for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) has predicted serious cold snaps across the country to send the mercury plunging in the mountains and in the cities. 

According to the Austrian Severe Weather Center, large parts of the country are set for severe winter weather this week and into the weekend. 

Around three month’s worth of snow has already fallen in the east of the country, primarily from the Ötztal Alps over the Brenner to East Tyrol, Carinthia and Lungau. 

Mallnitz and Lienz have also seen significant snowfalls, around six to eight times more than average. 

Cold snap in the northern Alps

High pressure systems bringing high fog are expected until mid-week, with the temperatures set to drop in the later part of the week and towards the weekend as icy wind moves in from Russia in the north east. 

The northern Alps areas along with the valleys will expect lows between -15C and -20C, while temperatures may hit -25 in some alpine valleys. 

Along the plains, the temperatures will also drop although not as far, with weather in the cities of Vienna, Salzburg, Linz and Graz to be between -5C and -2C on the weekend.