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DWD Issues Red Alert as Freezing Rain Threatens Severe Ice in Southern Germany

Deeply frozen ground will let incoming rain glaze roads within minutes, prompting authorities to urge drivers to delay trips and prepare for a hazardous Monday morning commute.

Overview

  • Germany faces widespread ice warnings, with severe alerts for parts of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria from Sunday evening into Monday morning as precipitation spreads east and south.
  • Forecasters expect snow to turn to rain that freezes on contact with ground frozen to around 15 centimeters, creating mirror-smooth surfaces and rapid ice accretion.
  • Highest risk zones include the Südpfalz, Schwarzwald and Schwaben as well as areas south of the Danube into Oberschwaben and southeast Bavaria; farther north, several centimeters of snow are likely.
  • Police and weather services report numerous weekend crashes and a fatality in Leer and advise reducing speed, using winter tyres, avoiding non‑essential travel and heeding official updates.
  • Conditions should ease gradually on Monday and Tuesday for many areas, though fresh systems could bring renewed snow at the Alpine edge Tuesday into Wednesday and lingering slick spots elsewhere.