Heavy snowfall over the weekend caused major disruptions to public transport and numerous car accidents in northern Germany. Buses were halted in cities like Hannover, Oldenburg, and Lüneburg, while trains were canceled or severely delayed. Experts debate whether the north is less equipped for winter weather due to less experience compared to the south.
The winter onset over the weekend brought both frustration and joy to northern Germany: While children cheered on sledding hills, drivers battled slippery roads and halted buses. In Hannover, bus services were completely suspended from Saturday evening to Sunday midday, similarly in Oldenburg and Lüneburg from Saturday afternoon. Many train connections in Lower Saxony and Bremen were canceled or severely delayed. On the roads, there were 74 accidents in Hannover alone due to snow and ice.
Some drivers complained: "As soon as a few snowflakes fall, nothing works in the north anymore." In fact, more snow fell than expected: 13 centimeters of fresh snow in Hamburg, only 2 in Munich, and 22 in Nordholz, reports meteorologist Jürgen Schmidt from Wetterkontor to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). He attributes the heavier precipitation to a large cold air mass over Central Europe and proximity to warm seas providing more moisture.
Why does the north struggle more? "The impression is certainly not entirely wrong that there are always a bit more problems in the north," says Horst Hanke, civil engineer and winter service expert with the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU). Snow is rarer in the north, leading to less practice for drivers and personnel. A snowplow operator might go three years without a job, while in the south it's 20 annually. Cities and municipalities are responsible for public roads but can transfer duties to property owners—often for sidewalks. Hanke criticizes non-compliance by owners and rare fines, as well as salt bans in some cities for environmental reasons, which courts have ruled against.
Bus stoppages on main roads should be avoidable, as cities must prioritize. Some municipalities cut equipment expecting less snow—but the legal obligation persists.
