Melting Snow Hits Winter Sporting In The Swiss Alps

[Weather-history]

Here's a report from December 1909

"A mild December in Switzerland brought much discomfort int he shape of unseasonable thaws to the throngs who sought the Alps for the enjoyment of winter sports. In the lower parts of the country the mildness was extraordinary. a correspondent states that at Montreux, 3200ft above sea level, heavy rain and a high temperature prevailed from December 21st to 31st and old residents declared that such a state of things had not occurred in December since 1842. The well known limnologist, M. Delebecque, writes from Geneva that snow and ice had disappeared from mountains ip to 4000ft on Christmas Day, and he quotes the following temperature readings at Geneva, as an example of a winter fohn, which in the opinion of sporting visitors "had carried the joke a little too far"

Min temps on Dec 22nd: 39.0F

Dec 23rd: 52.5F

Max temp on 22nd: 68.0F

Max temp on 23rd: 69.4F (at 3.30am)