Is a white Christmas a thing of the past?
Published: Friday, Dec 8th 2023, 12:10
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Christmas is associated with snow. If there is no snow at Christmas, this is often attributed to climate change. However, a look at the statistics shows that there have rarely been white Christmases on the Central Plateau in the past.
In the measurement period from 1931 onwards, there was no snow on Christmas days in the central and eastern midlands of Switzerland in six out of ten years, according to figures from the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss). In western and north-western Switzerland, it even remained green over Christmas in three out of four years and in Lugano in 80 percent of years.
The last time there was a white Christmas at the Zurich-Fluntern, Basel-Binnigen and Neuchâtel weather stations was in 2010, at least on two Christmas days - in Neuchâtel in 2010. The last time there was snow on one of the Christmas days in Bern-Zollikofen was in 2014.
It looks better in the mountains. In Davos, there has only been one Christmas Day without snow since 1931 (in 2016).
Less and less snow
Nevertheless, there is less and less snow in Switzerland. According to an analysis by the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), there have been up to 60 percent fewer snow days in the past 30 years than in the 30 years between 1963 and 1992, depending on the location.
If the earth continues to warm up as it has so far, it will only snow in Zurich every 15 years or so from 2050 - and whether the snow will fall at Christmas is another question. According to the forecasts, green Christmases will also become more frequent in the Alps.
©Keystone/SDA
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