Overview
- Meteorological models forecast a strong low crossing northern Germany on January 9 with storm-force gusts on the coast and in higher terrain, along with snow in northern and elevated areas.
- The northeast faces the greatest risk of heavy drifting and localized disruptions, while many lowland areas will see rain or mixed precipitation with icy patches overnight into Saturday.
- Meteorologist Dominik Jung characterizes the setup as dynamic yet short-lived, with no signal for a multi-day nationwide blizzard or widespread transport collapse.
- Guidance indicates the system will move east by January 10 as winds ease and drier air arrives from the west, leaving lighter showers and daytime thaw in many low elevations.
- Experts caution against equating the current pattern with 1978/79, when DWD records show 67 days of continuous snow cover and a broad emergency response across Germany.