@gjwolfswinkel said in Description of weather overlays:
The freezing altitude layer, how does that work? I am often looking at ski weather and on those sites, the current freezing altitude (frostgrenze in German, vorstgrens in Dutch) is at around 3800 meters. Yet the 'freezing level' layer shows values of 2500 to even 1900 meters for those locations, even though the current temperatures there are much higher.
Am I misinterpreting what the freezing altitude layer actually is or does? Or is the data faulty?
The freezing altitude layer or the freezing level is a meteorological term that refers to the altitude in the atmosphere where the temperature is at or below freezing (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit). The altitude at which the freezing level occurs can vary depending on the temperature profile of the atmosphere, and it can be affected by factors such as atmospheric pressure, humidity, and wind.
In the context of skiing weather reports, the freezing level or freezing altitude is an important parameter to consider because it determines whether precipitation will fall as snow or rain at different altitudes. If the freezing level is high, then precipitation will fall as rain at lower altitudes, which can result in unfavorable ski conditions. On the other hand, if the freezing level is low, then precipitation will fall as snow at lower altitudes, which is generally more desirable for skiing.