The area of the northern edge of the Alps, the region of the city of Salzburg,
the Flachgau and the Salzkammergut region, has a very humid climate.
The westerly and northwesterly winds found mainly in Central Europe move
Atlantic air masses towards Austria which collect at the edge of the Alps.
This leads to cloud formations and consequently to precipitations.
Average precipitation in Salzburg city is 1286mm, falling on an average 184 days, mainly in summer. So no wonder Salzburg has its very own rain, the "Salzburger Schnürlregen".
Typical of the lower regions are mild winters and moderately warm summers
(average yearly teperature in Salzburg is 12° C, highest average temp. in June 18°C, in January -2°C).
Towards the centre of the Alps precipitation drops to average Central European level.
In summer precipitation falls as heavy showers and during thunderstorms.
In autumn and winter the mountaintops and peaks show clearly more sunshine and
clearer air (excellent clear view)than the valleys,-this is particularly true for valleys leading out of the Alps which are often covered with a thick blanket of fog.
Zell am See, for example, has an average of 50-65 hours of sunshine in January/February,
the mountain station on the Schmittenhöhe about 100.
In basins and closed valleys the cold air gathers and cools off even further, while the higher lying layers of air are warmed by the sun. The result is a sudden drop in temperature (normally the temperature drops about 1°C per 200m).
A special wind found in the Alps is the Foehn, a warm and heavy wind falling
from the north side of the Alps.