The “Nebelmeer” (lit. sea of cloud, known in English as a cloud inversion) is a fabulous meteorological phenomenon at this time of year, caused by a band of dense cloud sealing cold air beneath it in alpine valleys. A low level of air movement in the earlier parts of the day allows the morning dew to form cloud, then stay low in the valleys due to cooler temperatures.

This particular weather usually leads locals and savvy visitors to jump in the car or onto the most convenient cable car or funicular to head up above the clouds and enjoy the glorious day which usually accompanies such conditions. There’s even a saying: “unten grau, oben blau”. (Below, grey; above, blue.)

If you’re ever in the lowlands of Switzerland near a mountainous area and wake up to a foggy morning, check the webcams of nearby peaks and head up and out!

2 responses to “Above the clouds”

  1. Mum avatar
    Mum

    Wow! Frothy milkshake?

  2. Mark Howells-Mead avatar

    You’d think so, wouldn’t you? Graham suggested cappuccino!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google’s reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.