How likely is a white Christmas in Austria?
It mostly depends on altitude. In Vienna (the Hohe Warte station), there was snow on the ground on the morning of 24 December in 6 of the 30 years from 1991 to 2020, roughly once every five years (20%). Innsbruck was white on 12 of 30 Christmas Eves (40%), Salzburg and Klagenfurt on 9 each (30%) and Graz on 8 (27%). Up in the mountains, snow at Christmas is close to certain: Obergurgl 93%, the Sonnblick every year.
The tool above shows these odds for 28 weather stations across Austria. You can change what counts as "white" and which years are included.
What counts as a white Christmas?
In Austria, as in much of central Europe, the big celebration is on Heiligabend, Christmas Eve. Austria's national weather service, GeoSphere Austria (formerly ZAMG), counts it as white when there is at least 1 cm of snow on the ground at 7 am on 24 December. That's the tool's default. Germany's weather service uses a stricter rule, with snow on all three days from 24 to 26 December. You can also choose to count any one of the three days.
Example: Vienna, Hohe Warte
- 1961 to 1990: snow on 24 December in 11 of 30 years = 37%
- 1991 to 2020: snow on 24 December in 6 of 30 years = 20%, about once every 5 years
Why are white Christmases getting rarer?
Because December has warmed. GeoSphere Austria says an average Austrian December is about 2 °C warmer than 50 years ago. In the lowlands, precipitation falls as rain more often, and snow that settles melts faster. According to GeoSphere, a white Christmas is only fairly reliable from about 800 m above sea level.
Comparing the two standard climate periods (snow on 24 December):
- Vienna: 37% (1961–1990) → 20% (1991–2020)
- Innsbruck: 63% → 40%
- Klagenfurt: 63% → 30%
- Salzburg: 53% → 30%
- Graz: 40% → 27%
When was the last white Christmas?
In Graz and Salzburg, 2010 was the last Christmas Eve with snow on the ground; in Vienna and Eisenstadt it was 2012. St. Pölten hasn't had one since 2007, and Linz since 2003. Innsbruck, Klagenfurt and Bregenz, on the other hand, were white again in 2024.
For Christmas 2025, GeoSphere Austria's provisional readings show a thin layer of snow in Vienna and St. Pölten on 24 December. As these haven't been confirmed yet, our figures stop at Christmas 2024.
Where are the best odds?
The higher, the whiter. Snow on 24 December (1991–2020):
- Sonnblick: every year
- Obergurgl and Feuerkogel: 93%
- Bad Gastein: 86%, Radstadt: 85%
- Semmering: 79%
- Mariazell and Tamsweg: 70%
Among the regional capitals, Innsbruck leads at 40%. Linz, St. Pölten and Eisenstadt have the lowest odds, at 17% each.
Where the figures come from
We use the daily snow-depth readings from GeoSphere Austria's Data Hub for each station and every Christmas since 1951. If a reading is missing, that winter is left out rather than counted as green. Some stations, such as Kitzbühel and St. Anton am Arlberg, have too many gaps to include. Our figures fit the ranges GeoSphere Austria published in December 2025: Innsbruck white roughly every two to three years, Graz, Klagenfurt and Salzburg every three to four, and Vienna every four to six.
Frequently asked questions
Will Austria have a white Christmas in 2026?
Nobody can say yet: a reliable forecast for the holidays is only possible shortly beforehand. The tool shows how often Christmas was white in the past. In Vienna, that was 6 of 30 Christmas Eves from 1991 to 2020.
When did Vienna last have a white Christmas?
In GeoSphere Austria’s confirmed data, Vienna last had snow on 24 December in 2012. Provisional readings also show a thin layer of snow in 2025.
Where in Austria is a white Christmas most likely?
In the high Alpine villages and on the mountains: the Sonnblick is white every year and Obergurgl in 93% of years. GeoSphere says a white Christmas is only fairly reliable from about 800 m.
Did it snow more at Christmas in the past?
Yes. In Vienna there was snow on 24 December in 37% of years from 1961 to 1990, but only 20% from 1991 to 2020.