Local Weather Updates — Weather-forecasting

Vienna's endless winter gloom breaks records as sunless February drags on

A relentless fog chokes Vienna, delaying harvests and pushing energy costs up. Will this February eclipse the city's darkest winters on record?

, and ASMedia

2026 February 7 . 9:24 AM

1 min read

The image shows a city street filled with lots of cars driving down it, covered in snow. There are... — The image shows a city street filled with lots of cars driving down it, covered in snow. There are trees, buildings with windows, light poles, and boards with text in the background, and the sky is filled with clouds. At the bottom of the image there is text.

Vienna's endless winter gloom breaks records as sunless February drags on

Vienna is enduring one of its darkest winters in decades, with no sunshine recorded so far in February. The city has already gone ten straight days without sun, and thick fog is expected to linger until at least February 10. Farmers are feeling the strain, as cucumber harvests face delays and energy costs rise due to the persistent gloom.

The current stretch of sunless days follows a dismal December 2022, when Vienna, St. Pölten, and Eisenstadt saw far less sunshine than usual. That month, the city went 14 days without sun, placing it among the top ten longest sunless streaks on record. February 2023 is now shaping up to be even worse, with zero sunshine logged in Vienna and St. Pölten so far.

If the fog persists for another nine days, Vienna will enter the top three for its longest sunless periods. The all-time record stands at 22 days, set in the winters of 1903 and 1933. St. Pölten, meanwhile, needs just six more gray days to reach the same milestone.

While much of Austria struggled with darkness in December, January brought a sharp contrast. Regions like Tyrol's Unterland, Salzburg, and Linz enjoyed near-record levels of sunshine. But Vienna's fortunes have yet to turn, leaving farmers to grapple with frost and poor visibility that threaten crops and revenues.

The prolonged lack of sunlight is taking a toll on local agriculture, with cucumber harvests delayed and energy expenses climbing. With no relief expected until mid-February, the city remains on track for one of its gloomiest winters in history. Farmers and residents alike are now watching the skies, hoping for a break in the relentless fog.