Weather Service
Third warmest and wettest winter since 1881
The winter was far too wet and too warm. photo
© Patrick Pleul/dpa
Another winter that was too warm: In addition to mild temperatures, wet conditions also caused problems. February even broke a record.
The average temperature was 4.1 degrees, 3.9 degrees above the value of the internationally valid reference period 1961 to 1990. Compared to the current and warmer comparison period 1991 to 2020, it was 2.7 degrees more. “Last winter was catapulted to third place as the mildest, behind the winters of 2006/2007 and 2019/2020.”
February in particular stood out: the average temperature in the month was “an unprecedented 6.6 degrees,” 6.2 degrees above the value of the reference period (0.4 degrees). The previous record was 5.7 degrees in 1990.
The lowest value was measured in Leutkirch-Herlazhofen im Allgäu in Baden-Württemberg: on January 20th, the thermometers there showed minus 19.5 degrees. The warmest time was on February 16th in Rosenheim, Bavaria – according to the DWD, “18.8 degrees Celsius was the highest temperature in Germany in the last three months.”
Overall, this year’s winter months were reportedly very wet. An average of around 270 liters per square meter fell – last year it was 170. Northern Germany in particular was affected by “record rainfall” in December, as it was said.
At around 156 hours, the duration of sunshine in winter was just above the comparable value of 153 hours in the period 1961 to 1990 and around 10 percent below the value in the period 1991-2020 (170 hours).
Weather experts in this country are guided by the meteorological winter, which lasts from December 1st to February 28th. For statistical reasons, the researchers calculate their data in whole months.