by InTrieste
A burst of wintry weather is set to sweep across Italy at the start of the week, bringing strong winds to Trieste and the mountains of Friuli Venezia Giulia before a marked shift toward milder, more stable conditions just in time for Easter.
Forecasters say a mass of cold air will move south across the peninsula beginning Monday evening, forming a low-pressure system that will intensify over the Ionian Sea in the first days of April. The system is expected to draw in strong northerly currents, producing widespread gusts that could reach gale force in some areas.
The unsettled pattern is likely to persist through Thursday, with the Adriatic regions and southern Italy facing the most instability. Elsewhere, conditions should remain largely dry but colder than seasonal averages.
In Friuli Venezia Giulia, increasing cloud cover is forecast from Monday afternoon, with scattered showers developing first in the mountains before spreading to the plains and, less likely, the coast. Snow levels are to hover between 800 and 1,000 meters.
By Tuesday, moderate northerly to northeasterly winds are expected along the eastern areas and the coast, with stronger gusts developing later in the day in Trieste and at higher elevations. Overnight and early morning frost remains possible in inland plains.
Winds are forecast to strengthen further on Wednesday, with sustained northeasterly flows in the mountains and moderate to strong Bora winds across the eastern belt, particularly over the Karst plateau and in Trieste. Conditions should begin to ease on Thursday, with winds gradually diminishing.
A significant change, however, is expected by the end of the week. High pressure is forecast to build from Friday, ushering in more stable weather and a notable rise in temperatures, pointing to a milder, more typically springlike Easter weekend.
