Overview
- Germany’s weather service expects snow to spread with a storm center crossing north‑central Germany late Thursday into Friday, bringing stinging gusts and locally 15 to 20 centimeters of new snow in the north.
- Hamburg authorized rock salt on pedestrian and cycle paths until January 21 after persistent freeze–thaw, as the city ran six consecutive full winter deployments with about 730 staff and 360 vehicles focused on priority routes.
- Officials reiterated sidewalk‑clearing obligations for property owners, with Hamburg warning that serious breaches can incur fines up to €50,000 alongside potential civil liability for injuries.
- Winter service capacity in Schleswig‑Holstein was curtailed by a warning strike at the state road authority, limiting clearing on federal, state and district roads while Autobahn routes remain under federal operators.
- Wider impacts included near‑total train stoppages and hundreds of flight cancellations in the Netherlands, Deutsche Bahn regional delays expected through Friday, park and cemetery closures over branch breakage risks, Baltic ice navigation warnings, and salt supply strain such as Stralsund’s emergency resupply.