Overview
- The German Weather Service says the freeze will persist with repeated snow showers and only isolated slight daytime thaw in the far west and northwest.
- Snow and ice disrupted transport as Deutsche Bahn reported cancellations and delays, buses in Hanover were halted, airports in North Rhine-Westphalia faced delays, and police recorded numerous crashes including a fatality in Saxony.
- Forecasts indicate additional snowfall in higher terrain, with around 10 to 20 centimeters possible in places such as the Harz and more showers moving in from the northwest.
- Night temperatures are set to plunge, with the DWD expecting lows near minus 20 C in some higher valleys and Tyrol issuing an orange cold warning with a hotline for people sleeping outdoors.
- Winter recreation surged as ski areas opened in the Harz and Saxony and the frozen Federsee drew crowds of skaters, while Hamburg measured about 15 centimeters of snow at Fuhlsbüttel.