Austria: First alpine snow, up to 8 cm on Dachstein and Kitzsteinhorn
Snow fell on Austrian glaciers at 2,995–3,203 m with up to 8 cm; forecasters warn of unstable afternoons and possible storms in North Macedonia.
On 15 September 2026 Europe saw an early touch of winter as snow fell on high Alpine peaks in Austria. Snow was reported between 2,995 and 3,203 metres above sea level, with measurements of up to 8 centimetres on the highest glaciers.
"The Dachstein and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers have already recorded a snow cover of 8 centimetres," meteorologist Slavcho Poposki noted.
Preparations for the ski season are already underway at those two locations. "Preparations for the ski season at the two sites mentioned above are already underway and, according to announcements, the season is expected to start on 10 October, if weather conditions allow," Poposki added.
Weather outlook for North Macedonia
Forecasters say the coming days in North Macedonia will generally be sunny and warm, but afternoons will bring localized instability. "The weather will be sunny and warm. In the afternoon it will be locally unstable with heavy rain, thunder and strengthened wind. Because of the large energy in the atmosphere, locally processes will take the form of storms with intense heavy rain, strong wind and the occurrence of hail," the UHMR said.
Specific warnings were issued for Skopje and some basins. "In Skopje, tomorrow it will be sunny and warm. In the afternoon it will be unstable with heavy rain, thunder and strengthened wind. In parts of the basin the processes will take the form of storms with heavy rain, strong wind and conditions for hail," the UHMR added.
The early snowfall in the Austrian Alps is a localized, high-altitude event and does not signal an immediate change in lowland temperatures across the region. Still, authorities and outdoor operators at higher elevations are monitoring conditions as mountain snow can affect transport and early-season preparations.
Photo: press material from the event
