Föhn: or, Frühjahr in Amstetten

Spring has sprung in Amstetten!


The Eiscafés have opened their doors, the normal cafés have put out their outdoor dining tables and chairs. Lovers are loving each other with more fervor than ever. Animals are out and about. My favorite walking path has again become accessible. And, best of all, Austrians have begun preparing their gardens for the season. Gardening, as any Austrian can tell you, is a national obsession. 


But, I must say, Austria, your winter output is a pittance, at best. I expected massive snow storms, fierce winds, having to muster all of my strength to make it out of doors - sort of what the weather was like in December, or like your average Wisconsin winter (FYI - snowfall is recorded in inches, temperatures in Fahrenheit). And, yes, I've already been told this year's winter was affected by the Föhn (or Fön - incidentally also the word for "hairdryer"), that pesky southern wind* that whips up from Italy and through the Alps and makes skiing more difficult because it eats up all the snow...


There are other hypothesized consequences of the Föhn. According to studies at the Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität in Munich, during a Föhn year, the suicide rate in Central Europe can increase up to 10%. A famous example: on September 18, 1931, Hitler, living in Munich and working on an electoral campaign, complained of being in a bad mood. A colleague said it was probably because of the Föhn. Later that day, Hitler returned to his Munich apartment to find his neice, Geli Raubal, dead from an apparent suicide.

An example of the Föhn wind near Karlsruhe: photo borrowed from© Bernhard Mühr 

On a cheerier note, the weather has been gorgeous this past week. On a more obvious note, except for a spike in temperature on Wednesday, I didn't notice any difference in weather from the past few months - due, of course, to the Föhn.

*NB: Known in other parts of the world by different names: the Chinook in the Rockies, the Zonda winds in Argentina, the Santa Anas in California, and the Sirocco in the Mediterranean are each famous types of Föhn winds. Unfortunately, I am not an expert on these...you'll have to ask a meteorologist if you'd like more information - other than geographic location. :)