The German Weather Service (DWD) has warned of freezing rain and heavy snowfall in parts of Germany that could significantly disrupt traffic on Monday. Black ice threatens especially in Saxony, Brandenburg, and Berlin, while up to 25 centimeters of new snow is expected in the south. Drivers and commuters should anticipate disruptions.
The German Weather Service (DWD) has issued a severe weather warning for several regions in Germany. In the night to Monday, freezing drizzle with significant black ice threatens the mid and northeast of the country. Affected areas include parts of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Berlin, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. In Saxony, particularly the districts of Leipzig, Meißen, Mittelsachsen, Nordsachsen, and the city of Dresden, high black ice risk persists until about 03:00 or 04:00 due to supercooled moisture or freezing rain. The districts of Bautzen and Görlitz may also be impacted.
At the same time, heavy snowfall is moving from the south to the mid. Up to 20 centimeters of new snow could fall in six hours in the eastern Swabian and Franconian Alb, and in places 15 to 25 centimeters in eastern Baden-Württemberg to western and northern Franconia. The DWD warns of the risk that trees may break under the snow load and overhead lines could be endangered by wet snow and wind.
Meteorologist Markus Übel emphasized: "In the morning rush hour, significant disruptions due to snow-covered roads must be expected in places." Problems are anticipated on roads and rails. Already on Sunday evening, winter weather led to numerous traffic accidents in Baden-Württemberg, Lower Franconia, and Lower Saxony, with injuries, some life-threatening.
The Stuttgart fire department warned: "We have the first deployments due to snowfall and are equipping the first emergency vehicles with snow chains." The Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg is closing parks such as Charlottenburg Palace and Sanssouci on Monday due to black ice risk.
On Monday, light to moderate snowfall is expected during the day, heavier in the north, with continued snow black ice. In the northeast, freezing rain will turn to snow. The black ice situation will ease only slowly, especially in the northeast. The west remains spared: West of the Rhine, hardly any precipitation is expected, with temperatures of 2 to 5 degrees, up to 7 degrees on the Upper Rhine. In the other parts, -1 to +2 degrees prevail. Black ice risk from snow and freezing moisture also persists into the night to Tuesday.