Editing Geography of Austria (section)

==Climate==
[[File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_AUT_1991–2020.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Köppen climate classification]] types of Austria]]
[[File:Alps satellite in winter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Heralding the oncoming winter, snow dusts the peaks of the Alps on December 11, 2004. North of the Alps, clouds cover France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Slovakia. South of the Alps, clear skies dominate most of the image, leaving the Po River Valley and peninsular Italy showing clearly. To the southwest, the Ligurian and Mediterranean Seas are an almost uniform deep blue color; to the southeast, the Adriatic Sea features swirls of blue-green microscopic sea organisms (likely phytoplankton and algae), as well as some green-tan sediment from rivers emptying into the sea.]]

The Alps serve as a [[Water divide|watershed]] for Europe's three major kinds of weather systems that influence Austrian weather.<ref name=":0" /> The Atlantic maritime climate from the northwest is characterized by low-pressure fronts, mild air from the [[Gulf Stream]], and precipitation.<ref name=":0" /> It has the greatest influence on the northern slopes of the Alps, the Northern Alpine Foreland, and the Danube valley.<ref name=":0" /> The continental climate is characterized by low pressure fronts with precipitation in summer and high pressure systems with cold and dry air in winter.<ref name=":0" /> It affects mainly eastern Austria.<ref name=":0" /> Mediterranean high-pressure systems from the south are characterized by few clouds and warm air, and they influence the weather of the southern slopes of the Alps and that of the Southeastern Alpine Foreland, making them the most temperate part of Austria.<ref name=":0" />

One peculiarity of the Mediterranean weather systems is the [[foehn wind|föhn wind]], a warm air mass that originates in the African [[Sahara]] and moves north rapidly, periodically raising temperatures up to {{convert|10|C-change}} in a short period of time.<ref name=":0" /> Many people respond to this rapid weather change with [[headache]]s, [[irritability]], and [[blood circulation|circulatory problems]].<ref name=":0" /> During the winter, the rapid warming that accompanies a föhn can thaw the snow cover in the Alps to such an extent that [[avalanche]]s occur.<ref name=":0" />

Given the importance of Alpine [[skiing]] for the Austrian tourist industry, December is the month during which the weather is watched with the greatest anticipation.<ref name=":0" /> As a rule, Atlantic maritime weather systems bring snow, and continental weather systems help keep it.<ref name=":0" /> However, a predominance of cold, dry continental systems or warm Mediterranean ones inevitably postpone the beginning of the ski season.<ref name=":0" /> In the summer, Mediterranean high-pressure systems bring warm, sunny weather.<ref name=":0" />
{{Weather box
|collapsed=collapsed
|location = Lech, Vorarlberg (1440 m; average temperatures 1982 – 2012) Dfc, bordering on Dfb.
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
<!--Average high temperatures-->
|Jan high C = -0.7
|Feb high C = 0.3
|Mar high C = 3.5
|Apr high C = 7.1
|May high C = 11.8
|Jun high C = 17.4
|Jul high C = 16.8
|Aug high C = 14.3
|Sep high C = 15.1
|Oct high C = 9.7
|Nov high C = 3.7
|Dec high C = 0.1
|Average high C =
|Jan mean C = -4.5
|Feb mean C = -3.7
|Mar mean C = -0.6
|Apr mean C = 2.9
|May mean C = 7.3
|Jun mean C = 10.6
|Jul mean C = 12.7
|Aug mean C = 12.2
|Sep mean C = 9.9
|Oct mean C = 5.6
|Nov mean C = 0.4
|Dec mean C = -3.3
|year mean C =
|Jan low C = -8.2
|Feb low C = -7.6
|Mar low C = -4.7
|Apr low C = -1.3
|May low C = 2.8
|Jun low C = 6.0
|Jul low C = 8.0
|Aug low C = 7.7
|Sep low C = 5.6
|Oct low C = 1.6
|Nov low C = -2.9
|Dec low C = -6.6
|Average low C =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 59
|Feb precipitation mm = 54
|Mar precipitation mm = 56
|Apr precipitation mm = 70
|May precipitation mm = 103
|Jun precipitation mm = 113
|Jul precipitation mm = 133
|Aug precipitation mm = 136
|Sep precipitation mm = 95
|Oct precipitation mm = 67
|Nov precipitation mm = 78
|Dec precipitation mm = 66
|year precipitation mm =
|source 1= {{cite web|url= https://en.climate-data.org/location/117363/|title= Lech climate data}}
}}
{{Weather box
|collapsed=collapsed
|location = Kühtai, Tyrol(2060 m; average temperatures 1982 – 2012) ET, somewhat close to Dfc.
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
<!--Average high temperatures-->
|Jan high C = -3.3
|Feb high C = -3.2
|Mar high C = -0.9
|Apr high C = 2.3
|May high C = 7.0
|Jun high C = 10.4
|Jul high C = 12.7
|Aug high C = 12.3
|Sep high C = 9.6
|Oct high C = 6.3
|Nov high C = 0.5
|Dec high C = -2.4
|Average high C =
|Jan mean C = -6.6
|Feb mean C = -6.5
|Mar mean C = -4.2
|Apr mean C = -1.1
|May mean C = 3.4
|Jun mean C = 6.6
|Jul mean C = 8.8
|Aug mean C = 8.6
|Sep mean C = 6.4
|Oct mean C = 2.9
|Nov mean C = -2.4
|Dec mean C = -5.4
|year mean C =
|Jan low C = -9.9
|Feb low C = -9.8
|Mar low C = -7.5
|Apr low C = -4.4
|May low C = -0.2
|Jun low C = 2.9
|Jul low C = 4.9
|Aug low C = 4.9
|Sep low C = 3.3
|Oct low C = -0.5
|Nov low C = -5.2
|Dec low C = -8.4
|Average low C =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 73
|Feb precipitation mm = 66
|Mar precipitation mm = 80
|Apr precipitation mm = 87
|May precipitation mm = 115
|Jun precipitation mm = 126
|Jul precipitation mm = 148
|Aug precipitation mm = 138
|Sep precipitation mm = 96
|Oct precipitation mm = 74
|Nov precipitation mm = 83
|Dec precipitation mm = 72
|year precipitation mm =
|source 1= {{cite web|url= https://en.climate-data.org/location/111749/|title= Kühtai climate data}}
}}