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Phrases › Talking About Weather › Con questo tempo non si può stare in montagna.
B1

Con questo tempo non si può stare in montagna.

In this weather you can't be in the mountains.

Pronunciation

'Montagna' — mon-TAN-ya. The 'gn' creates a 'ny' sound. Stress on the second syllable.

When to use it

Use when bad weather makes mountain activities dangerous or unpleasant — relevant for the many Italians who hike, ski, or holiday in the Alps or Apennines.

What it means

'Non si può stare in montagna' uses impersonal 'si' — 'one cannot be in the mountains'. This construction distances the statement from personal preference — it's objective, almost authoritative. Mountain safety is taken seriously in Italy.

Variations

Le cime sono nella nebbia.

The peaks are in the fog.

'Cime' = peaks/summits. Fog on peaks is dangerous for hikers and skiers

È scattata l'allerta meteo in quota.

The altitude weather alert has been activated.

'In quota' (at altitude) — weather authorities issue separate mountain alerts

Il sentiero è impraticabile con la pioggia.

The path is impassable in the rain.

'Impraticabile' (impassable/impractical) — strong word for genuinely dangerous conditions

Mini Dialogue

— Facciamo l'escursione domani? — Con questo tempo non si può stare in montagna. C'è allerta meteo. — Aspettiamo sabato? — Sabato dovrebbe andare meglio.

— Shall we do the hike tomorrow? — In this weather you can't be in the mountains. There's a weather alert. — Shall we wait for Saturday? — Saturday should be better.

Cultural Note

Mountain rescue ('Soccorso Alpino') in Italy handles thousands of interventions per year, many weather-related. Italian mountaineers are educated to check forecasts rigorously before any high-altitude activity. Ignoring weather warnings is culturally criticised.