White above and green below – this is how the German Weather Service (DWD) sums up the weather in the coming days. The low “Andreas” is making itself comfortable over Central Europe and providing for more precipitation, announced the DWD in Offenbach on Saturday. Whether in Berchtesgaden, on the Erbeskopf in Rhineland-Palatinate or in the Sauerland: In many places, the first weekend in Advent looked a bit like a winter wonderland.
Four centimeters of snow also fell on the almost 1215 meter high Fichtelberg, as a meteorologist from the German Weather Service (DWD) said in Leipzig. The highest point in Saxony had already been “covered in sugar” for days, but it was the first snow that remained, at minus five degrees Celsius.
First snow: on the slopes only with 2G
Skiing started with two lifts initially in Winterberg in the Sauerland. The first ski fans took advantage of the offer in the morning. For the first weekend in Advent, two slopes had been prepared, as a spokeswoman for the ski area reported.
With artificially generated snow, an initially very limited operation is to start before the official start of the winter sports season in Winterberg. On Saturday night the first “real” snow had also fallen. Only those who have been vaccinated or recovered according to the 2G principle are allowed in the corona pandemic; exceptions apply to those under the age of 16. Masks must be worn in lifts and queues. The public order office and employees of the ski area want to control the measures.
It remains wintry above 300 to 400 meters
In many places it will remain wintry in the coming days: In locations above around 300 to 400 meters, snow falls on Sunday and Monday, including mostly rain, sleet or at best wet snow. “So if you are planning a toboggan run or a snowball fight, you should go to the higher elevations of the low mountain range or hike up,” advised the DWD.
Movement come in the weather on Tuesday. In the south-east it could still snow deep down, in the mountains even “considerable new snow growth” is conceivable, but during the course of the day the snowfall line then rises significantly. From the northwest, on the other hand, according to the DWD, the warm front of a storm lows over the North Sea and brings “real momentum to the weather kitchen”.