Expect fresh snow for the holidays in Switzerland, accompanied by icy winds that might make the indoors an appealing option
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Weather in the Swiss Alps turned unseasonably mild 22 and 23 December, with highs of 10C Wednesday and expected to be around 8C Thursday. The Lake Geneva area is also experiencing a warm-up, with highs of 6C forecast for Thursday. The weather should change starting Friday, with temperatures dropping to a high of 0C, snow down to the plain and by Saturday temperatures dropping with an icy bise wind blowing across the plains and around the lake. Sunday: -2C, with snow flurries and the cold wind continuing.
Consider giving warm hats and scarves for Christmas gifts, for immediate use.
Party-time: a reminder from Nez Rouge to call them rather than drinking or taking drugs and driving home over the holidays. Keep in mind that exhaustion can also incapacitate you. Swiss-wide the number is 0800 802 208, but you can also phone locally: numbers and more on the volunteer work by Nez Rouge.
Driving plans: if you’re travelling by car over the holidays, review the list of expected traffic jams in Switzerland published by the Federal Highway Department, with the Swiss road traffic forecast published in English by GenevaLunch. Three good sources of live traffic reports: Highway Department truck information in English, TSR map showing traffic flow (Fre) and TCS (Touring Club Suisse) state of the roads map.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Nez Rouge helped 24,000 people make it home safely during the 2009 holiday season after they were unable to drive due to alcohol, drugs and exhaustion.
The group kicks off its volunteer operation for the 2010 holiday season Friday 10 December in most parts of Switzerland and a week later in the rest of the country.
If you can’t drive, don’t: phone Nez Rouge at 0800 802 208.
The group consists of local sections and you can also phone their local numbers directly, so print out the numbers and keep them handy if you plan to party during the holiday season. You can always pick up your car later, as long as you’re alive because you’ve called Nez Rouge.
Geneva – 022 710 27 77: 10 and 12 December, then from 17 December to 31 December
Morges-Lausanne – 021 702 55 10: 10 and 12 December, then from 17 December to 1 January
Eastern Vaud – 021 964 60 68: 10 and 11, 17 and 18, then 23 to 31 December
In France, the night of 31 December only, in Haute-Savoie
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The time has arrived for the annual Christmas party reminder: don’t drive if you plan to drink. The limit in Switzerland is 0.5 per 1,000, which means about one glass of wine. That said, Christmas parties, at the office or elsewhere, often catch people by surprise, and if you have one too many, consider phoning Nez Rouge to have someone come and drive you home in your own car. The Geneva area service also covers neighbouring France.
The holiday season service starts this weekend, with drivers on call 11 and 12 December, and then throughout the holidays but with dates and times varying slightly from one region to another.
