Zell am See - frozen lake?

A snowHead

Any clues about whether the lake is likely to freeze over this year? We are off there at very end of February.

A snowHead

Since no-one else has answered, I'd say that my bet is that there's a pretty good chance. Evidence? Quite a lot of web sites talk of skating on the frozen lake. And, more personally, when in November I sent a friend a photo of the Zeller See taken from the Kitzsteinhorn, he claimed he hadn't recognised it "because the lake was always frozen when we were there". I think that's probably true but it was about 30 years ago and winters were colder then Smile

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

espri, thanks for the reply.

Previous threads have suggested it is hit and miss whether it freezes enough to walk across or go skating, and it varies from year to year. This year seems pretty good for snow in Austria so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is cold enough too!

Of course my plan is to be on the hill - far far from the lake. But my wife and daughter are hoping there might be some ice to slip around on!

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The past couple of years that I've been there, it hasn't frozen enough to skate/walk on....but that may have just been the time of year I was there.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Lorenzo, by the end of February the ice will likely be at its thickest, as the temperatures are consistently low during January, but that's still no guarantee that the lake will be safe enough to skate on. In the harshest winters, a temporary road is opened across the lake, so it can be very thick, but I've also seen it in early March with open water in places.

If skating is the aim, rather than specifically skating on a frozen lake, then the town's leisure centre has an ice rink as well as an excellent swimming pool and spa complex.

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bloody cold here at the mo.... I would be very suprised if it isn't decently frozen already!

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I'm told from resort today that ice is forming but it is not frozen yet. Very cold weather is forecast for next two weeks so I will be surprised if it is not frozen by mid January.

That said by the end of February being able to walk on it will very much depend on the rest of the winter weather and in particular on;

1) Foehn winds which can melt it like a hairdyer on an ice sculpture. Last year it was frozen by Xmas and people were walking on it until 5th January when a three day Foehn thinned it out. There were still patches of open water in early February and AFAIK it never froze completely again all winter.

2) The amount of snow. In winter 05/06 the lake was closed much earlier than planned as the ice was so thick it literally started to sink under its own weight and the weight of the snow on top.

3) Whether it is declared safe to walk on by the authorities. If it is, signs will be erected to tell you it is open but that you are at you own risk, if not there are signs warning you to say off. TBH many people will use it when they see the locals on it on the basis of their knowledge. Personally I dont fancy invalidating all my insurances and would stay off unless it is declared safe or as ousekjarr says, use the Eishalle instead.

If someone can tell me how I do it I'll post a photo from January 06 with the lake well frozen and open for walking and skating etc..

After all it is free

Due to global warming, the ice on Zell lake is less reliable than it used to be.

If you want near-guaranteed ice, then you have to head higher, to St Moritz.

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This might help

Smile

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I was able to walk on the ice in March 2006 when in Zell. There were loads of guys kite skiing on it.

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It's been pretty cold in Austria for a while and I expect the lake is frozen at the moment.

You know it makes sense.

Photo as promised, many thanks espri,

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

In Zell a few years ago in January. Temp was -25 on Kitzsteinhorm but lake nowhere near frozen.

A snowHead

Hamish MacTavish, welcome to snowHeads

A snowHead

robboj, cool pic. Thanks for posting it (and learning how to do so).

Is that a well worn path across to the other side?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Lorenzo, Yes the snow has been cleared to make a path across to Thumersbach, you can maybe also see the narrower path to its left which is for skaters and langlaufers to use. There are actually paths going in all directions across the ice as the locals make full use of the shortcuts when they can. There are benches to sit and enjoy the view and Xmas trees to mark the paths.

marmalade, remember that the top station of the Kitzsteinhorn is 2250m higher than the lake.

The locals claim that there have always been years that the lake has not frozen, and therefore it is nothing new. if you push them some will admit that it is happening more regularly Sad

We have friends who have a holiday home in Thumersbach and they have only walked over the lake once in the last two winters, so with the very deep cold that is forecast fingers crossed that I see this scene again in January Very Happy

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I was there last February for a week, and everynight I walked from Thumersbach to Sell am Zee and back through the lake. The path was well marked with little pine trees stuck in the ice, and the areas where the ice was less thick, was also well marked and closed by barriers.
I guess this year, as the winter seems to go for a cold one, there won't be any problems to get the lake frozen any time in February.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Can't get a hold of anyone in resort but looking at pictures today I reckon it is frozen, albeit thinly, the cold forecast continues so I'm sure it will only get thicker.

Some light snow is forecast on Sunday so we'll know as soon as it falls.

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Yet another nugget of fantastical information from the ever reliable fountain of Austrian knowledge - Whitegold,

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I will be there on Friday and was wondering about this also, I expect it is frozen fairly thick now as it's been cold for a considerable time without interruption and forecast cold all this week, I will let you know the current ice conditions on my return next week.

After all it is free

I have been in zell all Jan. The lake froze about a week ago. people are now walking all over it. this weekend was the hot air balloon festival and they were touching down all over the lake . also skaters, paragliders. and kite boarders all having a great time.

Byron Gates, if the lake froze a week ago does that mean it was open water before that or just not sufficient ice thickness to walk on? The ballons are going to be so cool to see, can't wait there in 3 days!

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the lake froze almost overnight. one day water , within 24 hours , ice.
had a small covering of snow last night, so looks very nice today.
Wed. is "night of the balloons" with the display at the city express.
where are you staying ?

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Byron Gates, thanks for the info. It sounds lovely. Do you know if it tends to stay frozen for the season? We are going in first week of March!

Peter Ross, have a great trip! I would love to hear how you get on in Zell. We are off on a family trip, so a frozen lake would be a nice novelty.

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Lorenzo,

It was frozen on the 17th March 2006. Enough to walk on with about a ft of snow

Bump, I've just ended up on Snowheads yet again on Google Search ... OK its more than 10 years since this was posted on.

I was lucky enough to be on the See at Zell am See on January Saturday 28th January 2017.
Absolutely fantastic the lake froze and the Mayor declared that it was safe to walk on.
The authorities drilled holes and put an avenue of Christmas trees across the lake, loads of people were skating and doing all sorts of stuff you can do on ice.

My wife and I walked across to the other side and had a hot chocolate ... fabulous sunny day, great way to pass the time waiting for the transfer bus.

The only dissapointed creatures were the swans .... although they had an area that had been de iced .... there was nowhere else for them to fly to.

It wasn't frozen the following year Sad

Anyway I googled it to find out what the chances are of it freezing this season...
Anyone know?

You know it makes sense.

Certainly didn't look like it would freeze last Wednesday.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Cheers @espri, .... thats a shame, perhaps in another couple of weeks?

A snowHead

I would be very surprised if it froze at all this year, it needs a long period of sustained low temperatures. I stayed in Thumersbach many years ago and walked to and from Zell every day across the lake. Only in subsequent years have I realised what an anomaly it was!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

At Zell train station this morning. Sorry, but no sign of any ice anywhere on the lake, despite snow down to lake level. However, you still have a monthlong go. Maybe a polar cold front will descend!! Have a good holiday in any case.

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Whoops. OP was 12 years ago!!

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@hilary t, Yes but @DrLawn was asking again only yesterday

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The Lake at Alleghe is normally frozen solid at this time of year - not this year tho' Sad

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/belluno/lago-alleghe.html

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Unless I have missed it on the webcams although it had visibly frozen over in Feb 19 it hasn't been sufficiently frozen to open officially since late Jan 2017. Local wisdom is that if its not frozen by mid Feb at the latest it won't happen so I would be pretty sure it's not happening this winter, at least not sufficiently to get the Councils 'open at your own risk' status along with the signs, tree markers and benches.

The sun is stronger and a little higher over the Schmittenhöhe every day and thus more on the lake so the only possible exception is with a seriously anomalous weather event and afaik there is nothing in the tealeaves to suggest that atm.

After all it is free

The 2019-2020 season has been one of the warmest European winters in history.

Zero chance of walking on Zell lake this year.

Was in Zell 2 weeks ago and the lake was no where near freezing. Also friends were there last year in January which was way colder than this year and it wasn't frozen. Locals were saying it only freezes over roughly twice every 10 years.

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Zell am See - frozen lake?

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