'Dangerous' icy spell in Germany to be followed by mild temperatures
Following a very frosty few days, temperatures in Germany are expected to take a milder turn this week. Can the country still expect a snowy Christmas holiday?
Roads and sidewalks in parts of Germany risk turning into "dangerous slippery slopes," although temperatures will ease around the country before Christmas weekend, the German Weather Service (DWD) said in its report on Tuesday.
Starting in the evening, several regions will see black ice - especially in the Saxon mountains and in parts of Bavaria, reported DWD.
Accidents and closures due to the weather
On Tuesday, school classes were cancelled in many regions of Bavaria due to extremely icy conditions, especially in Lower Franconia, Middle Franconia and the Upper Palatinate.
On Monday, Germany already had to contend with slippery roads that saw dozens of flights cancelled at Frankfurt airport. Icy roads caused hundreds of accidents and full emergency rooms in hospitals.
READ ALSO: Several flights slashed at Frankfurt airport due to icy conditions
Parks, zoos and Christmas markets remained closed as a precaution because of the weather, with many reopening on Tuesday.
Police and rescue services responded to further incidents on Tuesday, with 49 accidents reported in the area around Dresden by midday. Most involved only minor damage.
In the Würzburg region, there were more than 100 accidents between midnight and 8 am, according to the rescue control centre.
Parts of Bavaria, such as Landshut, were hit particularly hard by the icy weather. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Armin Weigel
In the Thuringian Forest, however, winter sports enthusiasts rejoiced over the wintry weather, which saw up to 25 centimeters of snowfall in some areas. Around 110 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails were made available to people, according to a local winter sports report.
READ ALSO: 7 amazing places to ski in Germany this winter
Mild temperatures expected for the rest of the week
According to the DWD, most ice is expected to melt away by Wednesday morning. Nationwide, mostly grey weather and intermittent rain are predicted instead.
Temperatures will rise to between 6 and 11C around the country, with up to 13C possible in the Upper Rhine area. In southeastern Bavaria, the mercury is still likely to hover between 2 and 6C.
Stormy gusts are expected in the mountains and along the coasts. On Wednesday evening, it may become slippery again in the southeast.
The mild mercury means that a White Christmas is not looking likely in most regions of Germany. According to the DWD, the Christmas weekend will bring "clearly too mild temperatures with windy and at times wet weather".
READ ALSO: Will Germany see more snow this winter?
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Roads and sidewalks in parts of Germany risk turning into "dangerous slippery slopes," although temperatures will ease around the country before Christmas weekend, the German Weather Service (DWD) said in its report on Tuesday.
Starting in the evening, several regions will see black ice - especially in the Saxon mountains and in parts of Bavaria, reported DWD.
Accidents and closures due to the weather
On Tuesday, school classes were cancelled in many regions of Bavaria due to extremely icy conditions, especially in Lower Franconia, Middle Franconia and the Upper Palatinate.
On Monday, Germany already had to contend with slippery roads that saw dozens of flights cancelled at Frankfurt airport. Icy roads caused hundreds of accidents and full emergency rooms in hospitals.
READ ALSO: Several flights slashed at Frankfurt airport due to icy conditions
Parks, zoos and Christmas markets remained closed as a precaution because of the weather, with many reopening on Tuesday.
Police and rescue services responded to further incidents on Tuesday, with 49 accidents reported in the area around Dresden by midday. Most involved only minor damage.
In the Würzburg region, there were more than 100 accidents between midnight and 8 am, according to the rescue control centre.
In the Thuringian Forest, however, winter sports enthusiasts rejoiced over the wintry weather, which saw up to 25 centimeters of snowfall in some areas. Around 110 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails were made available to people, according to a local winter sports report.
READ ALSO: 7 amazing places to ski in Germany this winter
Mild temperatures expected for the rest of the week
According to the DWD, most ice is expected to melt away by Wednesday morning. Nationwide, mostly grey weather and intermittent rain are predicted instead.
Temperatures will rise to between 6 and 11C around the country, with up to 13C possible in the Upper Rhine area. In southeastern Bavaria, the mercury is still likely to hover between 2 and 6C.
Stormy gusts are expected in the mountains and along the coasts. On Wednesday evening, it may become slippery again in the southeast.
The mild mercury means that a White Christmas is not looking likely in most regions of Germany. According to the DWD, the Christmas weekend will bring "clearly too mild temperatures with windy and at times wet weather".
READ ALSO: Will Germany see more snow this winter?
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