Early-Season Snow In Austria; Scotland Shivers; Historic Lows Broken In U.S.; Greenland's Surface Gained 370 Billion Tons Of Ice Last Season, Bang On Average; + Control Freaks

Anything that can be taxed will be taxed, even down to the building blocks of life—carbon and water.

Early-Season Snow In Austria

Austria's summer heat has come to an abrupt end. After weeks of warmth, the country is now dealing with a dramatic cool-down, with early-September snow expected in its higher reaches. This is a story playing out across Central/Western Europe.

While the focus had been on summertime heat —heavily played up by certain media— the story now is the rapid arrival of harsh polar conditions, descending in far earlier than normal — a development I'm sure won't receive a fraction of the coverage.

Austria is about to witness a true 'swing between extremes' as it is plunged into an early taste of winter. Tanking temperatures, thick clouds, and showers are sweeping across the country, with heavy snow hitting up top.

The contrast couldn’t be sharper: from summer heat to snow down to 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) in less than week, to regions such as Arlberg, Hohe Tauern, and Dachstein.

The incoming temperature anomalies are quite astonishing, particularly given what came before. From France to Hungary, Germany to Montenegro, readings some 20C below the seasonal norms are on the cards by Friday, September 13:

[GFS Temperature Anomalies, Sept 13]

Sept 14 will see the chill continue east, dispersing any lingering warmth and bringing a definitive end to summer here, and all:

[GFS Temperature Anomalies, Sept 14]

Scotland Shivers

As with the peaks of the European mainland, Scotland is on for an early nip of winter, including snow, following what was very cool summer.

In the Highlands, thermometers will likely dip below freezing on Wednesday and Thursday, as descending air from the northwest brings widespread frost to most northern regions and snow to the peaks, including the Cairngorms.

The Met Office is warning of "wintry showers above 800 meters (2,600 feet)," urging caution for those in the mountains.