Winter Storm – Severe Weather In The Bavarian Alps, January 7-8, 2017

January 2017 began with very cold temperatures in Middle Europe. In some places it was 20 degrees below zero. Then it became warmer and in Upper Bavaria and in the Alps there was heavy snowfall. In Mittenwald, which is very close to the Austrian-German border, there was a mass of snow. Snow began falling on Saturday, January 7 and lasted on Sunday for the whole day. This made a big difference to previous years when there was no snow in the Bavarian alpine valleys during the same time of the year and it was much too warm. The severe weather during the first weeks of January caused many traffic accidents but in the alpine region people are well prepared for winter weather. However a weather pattern with a series of low-pressure systems in winter with sudden jumps in temperature pressing against the Alps from the North-West-Atlantic can lead to extreme dangerous situations. In Galtür, Austria, one of the biggest disasters happened in February 1999: afters days of extremr snowfall enormous avalanches hit the village and killed 38 and many people got injured. The village was isolated from the outside-world for days and ended in a spectacular rescue mission with a fleet of helicopters. The catastrophy lead to investigations about responsibility and a a lot of new measures to protect the valley from deadly avalanches. Even today with modern technologies avalanches are a constant danger in the alps. Tourists are always advised to check with local authorities and not leave secured paths during winter. In this situation here the weather calmed down after the weekend of January 6-7. Tourist can enjoy now the valley of Mittenwald and the municipality which has a rich history. It is situated in the valley of the river Isar on the historical route between Germany and Italy. It was also the route from the South to the North in the times of the Roman Empire. Even today you can see an Italian influence in Mittenwald. The municipality is also famous for the manufacture of violins.
/a> Rakuten Affiliate Network Welcome Program There are many walking-paths and streets leading to hotels and cabins in the surrounding mountains. On the East-side there is the impressing Karwendel, a mountain massive with steep rock faces and high mountains. The Karwendel is a extreme territory with a wilderness. On the west side you can get into the Leutasch-Tal, which is on the South-Side of the Zugspitze. Mittenwald is not far from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. There is also a cabin built by King Ludwig II not far away, The Schachenhaus, which can be visited during summertime. Furthermore there is the luxury hotel ELLMAU which was the place of a G7 meeting recently.

Frost – Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Early December 2016

December 2016 was a dry month in many parts of Germany except the North-East. There was also very little snow in many regions. However another weather phenomenon created fascinating sceneries: hoar frost. After some warmer periods there was ground frost and air frost in the early days of December. It was the right condition for hoar frost which is composed of tiny ice crystals. Hoar frost is formed by the same process like dew and when the temperatures of surfaces are below the freezing point (further information: met office). Hoar frost creates great motives for photography and film. The Garmisch-Partenkirchen valley is particularly interesting during such days. Its one of Germany’s most spectacular sceneries anyway with the highest mountain of Germany, the “Zugspitze” and a huge skiing area. The huge mountains are on the south-side of the valley. Consequently there are parts in the valley like the village Grainau which gets very little sunshine in December and January. In the shadow side of the valley on the north-side of the Zugspitze its cold and the hoar frost remains. On the other side of the valley it can be warm and sunny at the same time. Thus there are very different climate conditions in a small area. A special place is the Eibsee, 1000 metres above sea level. It’s surrounded by woods and in a wild alpine area. The Eibsee is the last stop of the famous cog railway in the valley. Its also the valley station of the cable car which brings visitors in a few minutes to the top of the mountain. There is a walkway around the lake leading to a fascinating landscape. There is also a little island in middle of the lake and a luxury hotel on one side. The shore of the lake is formed by huge rocks, which looks great with a thin layer of hoar frost. During winter the lake is often frozen. Due to the special conditions interesting patterns appear on the ice surface.

In winter and autumn there are often very different weather conditions in the alpine region and the region in the north of the mountains. In the valley of Garmisch-Partenkirchen it was a sunny day, but at the end of the valley there was a mist remaining for most of the day. Atmospheric inversion happens often when there is high pressure. This means there is a warm layer of air on top of the cold air in the valley. It can get really warm on the mountain tops. Sometimes you can see the mist then below, which is like being above the clouds. If atmospheric inversion lasts for a longer time it can create problems with air pollution near the ground because there is no circulation of air. Cold pockets of air can also last very long in some alpine valleys like the “Funtensee” in Bavaria, which is regularly mentioned in the weather news due to its extreme low temperatures. During December Garmisch-Partenkirchen prepares for the winter season. It can still be very warm when the “Föhn”, a warm wind created by rain-clouds on the south-side of the alps, lets temperatures rise. Climate-Change is also an issue with longer periods of warm weather and a melting glacier during summer. Nevertheless the Garmisch Partenkirchen valley is a very attractive destination for tourists in winter. Recently there had been huge investments. A new cable car is built which will bring more visitors to the top of Zugspitze. Usually there is a weather-change after New Year and when snow falls the valley turns into a fairy-tale landscape, which is another great scenery for photography. A great place is also the partnach gorge with bizarre ice sculptures.