First snow expected in Switzerland

Today is the September equinox, the day when the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. It also marks the start of autumn, however if you live above 1,500m it is likely to feel more like the beginning of winter. According to the weather forecaster Meteonews, snow is predicted above 1,500 metres today and 5 to 10 centimetres of snow is expected above 2,000 metres in the western Alps.

On the day of the September equinox, latitudes above 90 degrees north move into total darkness, while those below 90 degrees south move into 24 hour light.

In Lausanne, Switzerland, which sits at a latitude of 46.5 degrees north, the days will continue to get progressively shorter reaching a nadir of 8 hours and 34 minutes on 22 December 2015. Day length will then increase reaching its maximum length of 15 hours and 49 minutes on 21 June 2016.

Daylight today will last for 12 hours and nine minutes, 3 minutes  less than yesterday and 3 minutes more than tomorrow. Daily changes in day length accelerate in the lead up to the March and September equinoxes, reaching a peak daily rate of change of around 3 minutes in Lausanne. After these dates the rate of change declines to only a few seconds per day in the last days before the June and December solstices.

On a brighter note, according to MétéoSuisse, sunshine is expected to return the western half of the country tomorrow and could stay for the rest of the week.

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