Regional Mountain Conference

In this study, we aim to quantify the magnitude and significance of temperature trends on the sub-seasonal scale across elevations by collecting, processing and analyzing daily as well as hourly observational data from a dense network of climate stations located in the Tyrolean Alps (Austria). Our analysis reveals a 2.46°C rise in temperature for the 60-year period 1964–2023 and an increasing sub-seasonal variability of trends when shortening the investigated period from 60 to 30 years. We also find indications for a stronger warming at lower elevations, whereby this elevation-dependent signal can be traced back to strong differences in temperature trends in January with warming at low-elevation stations and a slight cooling at high elevations. The analysis of observation data to derive a picture of past climatic changes in mountain regions is of great importance to support our general process understanding and to complement the use of modeled data.