Overview
- Global models GFS and ECMWF indicate widespread snowfall around January 4–5, with several centimeters possible in lowlands and far larger totals in the Mittelgebirge and the Alps.
- Meteorologist Dominik Jung calls a pronounced winter phase plausible and currently estimates roughly a 70:30 chance, while warning that small Atlantic lows could still shift the outcome.
- Jürgen Schmidt expects a northwest flow to boost orographic snowfall in higher terrain, a setup that would favor ski areas with potentially high new‑snow amounts.
- Weather expert Kai Zorn flags a snow front near New Year’s Eve and sees a wintry pattern that some guidance extends toward the Balkans and Italy into early January.
- The DWD keeps near‑term forecasts conservative with mountain‑first snow, mixed precipitation where temperatures hover near freezing, nighttime lows down to −11°C, and increasing snow toward the east on December 30 as icy roads continue to trigger accidents.