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Germany Braces for Late-January Freeze as DWD Issues Nationwide Frost Alerts

A strengthening Scandinavian high is poised to drive very dry continental air into the country, pushing night temperatures sharply lower with little snow expected unless a moist system arrives.

Overview

  • DWD has placed most of Germany under yellow frost warnings through Monday morning, with overnight lows commonly between −1°C and −7°C now and model projections later falling to −5°C to −13°C, locally near −20°C in the east.
  • Forecast models (ECMWF, GFS) favor an east-to-west flow of Siberian air late this month, pointing to a prolonged dry frost pattern and daytime temperatures near or below freezing in many regions.
  • A persistent inversion is expected: lowlands often stay foggy or under high fog while higher elevations see more sunshine; clear, calm nights raise the risk of icy roads from rime and freezing fog.
  • Mountain hazards are flagged, with moderate avalanche danger (level 2) above about 1,600 meters in the Bavarian Alps due to unstable old-snow layers, and strong southeasterly gusts possible in the Ore Mountains.
  • Snowfall remains uncertain as the air mass is very dry, but some model scenarios allow for localized snow later in January if moisture overlaps the cold; repeated freeze–thaw cycles also raise pothole and glätte hazards, the ADAC warns.