Overview
- Satellite and model analyses identify a large Pacific marine heatwave with sea-surface anomalies up to 5 degrees Celsius above average that could shift storm tracks affecting Europe.
- A sluggish North Atlantic jet and blocking over Greenland are currently causing stagnant conditions across Europe that may later flip to abrupt cold outbreaks.
- The Weather Channel reports the Arctic polar vortex is weak, a state that can allow Arctic air intrusions into mid-latitudes including Germany.
- NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center projects La Niña to persist through February 2026, a background pattern associated with higher probabilities of colder and snowier phases in parts of Europe.
- Meteorologists Karsten Brandt and Dominik Jung reject premature 'century winter' claims, emphasizing probabilistic guidance with elevated cold risk in December and January and possible heavy snow episodes in the Alps.