Switzerland from Above

Photo by Alanna Weber

This photo shows valley fog in a Swiss valley near the Austrian border. A village rests at the bottom of this valley.

Valley fog, formed from cold air from higher altitude, is popular in many parts of Switzerland. Valleys and peaks are a perfect combination for valley fog to form.

Photos by Alanna Weber

L: A view of Spiez, Thun, the Thuner See, and the Brienser See from the peak of Niesen, a popular and famous mountain in Switzerland.

R: Oeschinensee, Kandersteg BE

  

Switzerland's many lakes provide for a variety of clouds, since clouds can form anywhere there is water. Rainfall is common in the Alps, and it freezes at high altitude. Once it becomes liquid, it turns into runoff and provides fresh drinking water to its citizens.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/weather/index.html?cid=77664

Air pressure refers to the weight of the Earth’s atmosphere pressing down on everything at the surface. In Switzerland there were many documented studies over six decades that showed an increase in illness during January, February and March. People complained about joint and muscle pain when the air pressure increased.

Photo by Nio landscape photography inc.

The image above shows a mountain called Mont Blanc Massif in the Swiss Alps

(Nowhere is the Swiss weather more apt to change than in the Alps. A mountain chain often forms the separation between different kinds of weather. The Alps is the border between the cooler Northern European climate and the warmer Southern European climate. Here’s the first snowfall of autumn. )

Alpine snow is a result of the adiabatic process. This is caused by warm, moist air rising in elevation and cooling and releasing latent heat and condensation in the form of snow. The air temperature must drop below the dew point for this to occur.

Photo by Bestcountryreports.com

(The photo above shows the average annual temperatures in Switzerland. We can see that the temperature is much lower in the Alps than it is in the surrounding areas.This temperature change is due to the difference in altitude.)

In Switzerland, the Alps are considered tundra climates (ET), meaning there are long, cold winters and brief, warm summers. The Swiss plateau sits at a lower altitude and produces different temperatures. The plateau is considered a marine west coast climate (Cfb) which produces cooler summers and warmer winters than the Alps.