Weather
Snow and ice slow down rail and air traffic
Whether on the road, the tracks or in the air: the winter weather is slowing down traffic in Germany. Heavy snowfall and black ice were forecast for large parts of the country. photo
© Jens Kalaene/dpa
It’s getting uncomfortable in Germany: Meteorologists are predicting heavy snowfalls and black ice for large parts of the country. Some large airports and Deutsche Bahn have already reacted.
The meteorologists warned of an extreme risk of black ice in the southwest and widespread black ice in the southern half. They predicted heavy snowfall for western and central Germany. It is also expected to snow in the central parts of the country and in the east during the day, as the warning report said. Significant impacts on the infrastructure are expected.
Numerous flight cancellations in Frankfurt and Berlin
Frankfurt Airport is expecting numerous flight cancellations due to the announced snowfall. The operating company Fraport said that only severely limited air traffic could take place until Thursday. Saarbrücken Airport even announced that it would completely stop its flight operations.
The announced snowfall and freezing rain in the south and west of Germany also has an impact on air traffic at Berlin’s capital airport BER. For today, 20 flights to and from Frankfurt have been canceled (10 take-offs and 10 landings each) as well as 10 flights to and from Munich (5 take-offs and 5 landings each), as an airport spokeswoman said. Passengers who want to go to Frankfurt or Munich were asked to regularly check their flight status.
Lufthansa only has a fuselage flight plan today. According to the airport’s specifications, only the most necessary flights will be able to be offered at its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, said a company spokesman.
Nationwide restrictions on rail traffic
Rail travelers also have to adapt to restrictions nationwide. According to a spokeswoman, the railway is preparing “intensively” for the announced weather conditions. According to the railway, employees in the affected regions were ready, for example to clear switches or to ensure traffic safety at level crossings. Clearance vehicles and heavy locomotives are available at strategically important points in the rail network. In addition, the train connection for long-distance journeys was lifted.
School cancellations in Bavaria
In some districts of Bavaria, classes are canceled or take place from home due to the weather conditions. As the Ministry of Culture in Munich announced, the school cancellation affects numerous districts. These include, for example, Altötting, Tirschenreuth and Ansbach. Information about this should be requested from the schools themselves.