The onset of winter at the weekend led to white landscapes in parts of Germany and in some cases to traffic problems. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there were “decent” amounts of fresh snow in some regions on Sunday night.
In parts of Hesse, fallen trees caused obstructions on the roads in the morning. It also snowed heavily in the Ore Mountains at the weekend, with a blanket of snow forming again, especially above 600 meters.
The snow leader on Sunday was a weather station in Kreuth-Glashütte in Upper Bavaria, where 26 centimeters were recorded, as qualified meteorologist Lars Kirchhübel from the DWD in Offenbach said. According to him, at least 16 centimeters fell in Bad Brambach-Hohendorf in the Vogtland district in Saxony, in Bad Hindelang in the Allgäu and in Borgentreich in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia. For the Borgentreich station, which has existed since 1979, this is the highest value recorded so far for an April day, said Kirchhübel. Snow, hail, black ice and heavy rain had already caused numerous accidents in traffic on Saturday. The new week will probably start cold and wintry.
It's increasingly turning from snow to frost
The German Weather Service (DWD) expects lows of up to minus six degrees on Monday night. During the day the sky is likely to vary from cloudy to very cloudy. Longer-lasting precipitation is expected to fall in the Alps, sometimes as snow at lower altitudes. The meteorologists are expecting showers, especially in the north and west as well as in the middle of Germany. According to the forecast, the maximum temperatures on Monday will be between three and eleven degrees.
The focus when it comes to the weather is increasingly changing from snow to frost, explained DWD meteorologist Kirchhübel. He warned that the low nighttime temperatures were dangerous for the plant world, which had already advanced far beyond the area. “Flowering plants in particular are at risk and must be protected.”
On Tuesday night there could be frost down to minus seven degrees again. According to the forecasts, it will remain very cloudy in the south on Tuesday and rain will fall, especially from the High Rhine to Eastern Bavaria, and there will be snow above 600 to 900 meters. It is largely dry in the remaining parts of Germany, and rain may set in on the North Sea during the day, as the DWD also announced. The maximum values are six to twelve degrees, cooler in the Alps. According to the forecasts, Wednesday night will no longer be quite as frosty
According to the police, there were a few weather-related traffic accidents in northern and eastern Hesse on Sunday morning due to the snow, but no serious injuries. According to the German Weather Service, the measured fresh snow depths were “decent”. For example, in Bad Hersfeld in northern Hesse, ten centimeters fell in just a few hours. Some routes in Hesse were no longer passable. In addition to federal, state and district roads, the A7 motorway heading north was also affected.
Snow fell elsewhere too. In Ostwestfalen-Lippe in North Rhine-Westphalia, a number of trees snapped under the weight of snow on Sunday night. As the police reported, this created around 20 danger spots. Local fire brigade helpers removed the fallen trees and cleared the streets.
Weather service: Snow and slippery conditions also possible at the start of the week
The German Weather Service (DWD) is still expecting snow and slippery conditions today. However, the snowfall should slowly retreat towards the Alps. But snow showers can also be expected from the Baltic Sea to the inland areas - this means that blankets of snow and slippery conditions are possible in some places. Snow is expected particularly in the low mountain ranges, the southern Black Forest and the Alps. In the mountains, slippery conditions can be expected from around 400 meters above sea level.
Otherwise, according to the DWD, the day will mostly be partly cloudy to very cloudy. Rain showers are likely in the north, west and parts of the center, and snow in the mountainous areas. The maximum temperatures are three to eleven degrees. It will be frosty in the morning and at night with temperatures as low as minus ten degrees.
