Overview
- Hamburg issued a time‑limited order allowing residents to use de‑icing salt on sidewalks until January 21, with Traffic Senator Anjes Tjarks calling for sparing use focused on hazard spots.
- Berlin’s environment administration said a comparable exemption is legally impossible under the city’s street‑cleaning law, leaving private salt use on sidewalks prohibited despite persistent ice.
- Braunschweig announced a narrow exception from Friday 00:00 to Monday 22:00 due to forecast freezing rain, advising that salt be used only where splitt or clearing does not suffice.
- Hardware chains report surging sales and localized sell‑outs of salt and grit, though restocking is underway and industry groups say overall supply remains adequate, with alternatives available online.
- Municipal services report large salt stockpiles and are prioritizing critical routes such as highways, while environmental groups urge sand, gravel, sawdust or Blue Angel‑certified products instead of salt.