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Springlike December Grips Germany as Atlantic Lows Drive 10–18°C Heat

A strong southwesterly flow from Atlantic lows, reinforced by a stable polar vortex, is channeling unusually mild, wet air across the country through mid-December.

Overview

  • Official forecasts show widespread highs of 10–16°C early in the week, with 17–18°C locally in the southwest and isolated spots near 20°C along the Upper Rhine.
  • Repeated Atlantic systems and a vigorous jet are bringing frequent rain and periods of wind, with stormy gusts on higher peaks and heavy precipitation driving snowmelt in the Black Forest and Allgäu.
  • Meteorologists say a persistent west-to-southwest pattern is likely to extend beyond the third Advent, limiting the odds of a broad cold outbreak or a white Christmas, though longer-range details remain uncertain.
  • The Deutscher Wetterdienst reports that even higher elevations face thaw conditions, with existing snow in the Mittelgebirge at risk and ski areas under pressure as rain replaces snowfall.
  • Regional outlooks highlight mild, unsettled days for Bavaria, NRW and Saxony-Anhalt, largely frost-free nights, and only brief sunny intervals amid mostly cloudy skies.