Weather First snowflakes reach the lowlands
For the first time this autumn, there were a few snowflakes below 500 meters above sea level in the lowlands of the northern Alps on Thursday. Above 500 to 700 meters, the snow even settled in places.
20.11.2025, 13:32
20.11.2025, 13:33
SDA
There was 1 to 3 and locally a maximum of 4 centimetres of snow there, the Federal Office of Meteorology (MeteoSwiss) said on Thursday on request. In the Alps, around 5 to 10, locally 20 centimetres of snow had fallen. However, only small amounts of snow are expected in the lowlands in the coming days.
The snowfall is not unusual at this time of year. According to the weather service Meteonews, the average date for the first measurable snowfall (at least 1 centimeter) since 2001 is between St. Gallen on 11 November and 25 December in Lugano TI.
Last year, record amounts of snow fell locally from November 21 to 22. The first snowfall down to the lowlands caused traffic disruptions at the time. Buses stopped running in Zurich, Berne and Basel, while streetcars in Berne were temporarily left in the depot. At the Gotthard, cars were temporarily unable to travel south. Flights and rail connections were also affected.
In any case, it will be very frosty in the coming days, the weather services added. In the north, the thermometer will barely climb above 0 degrees from Friday to Sunday, and in some places temperatures are expected to remain slightly below freezing, resulting in so-called ice days. Winter tires are an absolute must, reminded Meteonews.
