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Germany Braces for Winter Storm 'Elli' This Weekend With Heavy Snow and Near-Hurricane Winds

Forecasters emphasize model-based guidance over folk rules in describing the storm's regional split.

Overview

  • The German Weather Service warns that Friday and Saturday will bring widespread snowfall of around 15 centimeters, with up to 40 centimeters in orographic areas.
  • Strong easterly winds are expected to produce significant snowdrifts, raising concerns for exposed regions in the north and east.
  • Forecasts outline a two-part pattern with snow and drifting in northern and eastern Germany, snow mainly in the mountains elsewhere, and rain in lower western areas.
  • Temperatures are predicted to range from about minus 6 degrees Celsius at the Oder to around 9 degrees at the Upper Rhine.
  • Meteorologists cite a roughly 50 percent success rate for traditional Bauernregeln and caution against using them for forecasts, noting that comparable major snowstorms have been rarer since 2010.