If you want to frolic in the snow, you have to make your way to southern Germany. The German Weather Service (DWD) predicts “intensive continuous snowfalls” in the Alps and in the Bavarian Forest for Friday and the weekend. Up to and including Monday, the meteorologists are expecting fresh snow of between 60 and 80 centimeters there, and even up to one meter in “traffic jams”. Together with a stormy north-west wind, the avalanche danger in the mountains increases sharply, as Sebastian Altnau from the DWD headquarters said on Thursday in Offenbach.
The snow line is falling, the danger of avalanches is rising
In the Alps and in the Bavarian low mountain ranges there will be a short breather during the day on Friday during the snowfall. “However, this does not last long, because the low has a new boost of precipitation in its luggage,” said Altnau. The snow line varies greatly: it varies between 400 and 800 meters in the low mountain ranges and between 700 and 1000 meters in the Alps. In the northern Alps, the permanent snow set in again on Friday evening – and it will remain so over the weekend.
winter weather
Suddenly it trickles white from the sky: Bavaria is sinking in fresh snow
“The main problem for the high avalanche danger is the so-called snowdrift,” explained the meteorologist: “freshly fallen powder snow that is transported by the wind and is deposited in hollows and leeward slopes and does not build up a good bond with the existing snow cover”. Away from secured pistes, the conditions are “very critical”, says Altnau.
On Saturday the wind takes a break. Occasionally there is light precipitation – in the north-east it remains mostly dry. On Sunday the wind will pick up again and the precipitation will increase. “Even in the far east, snow is temporarily possible down to the lowlands.” In the coming days, the maximum values will be between five and ten degrees in many places, in the eastern mountains the values are only two to five degrees.
Snow causes accidents in Bavaria
Heavy snowfall and squalls have led to a number of traffic accidents in Bavaria. As early as Thursday morning, the police from Lower Bavaria reported almost 100 operations. Several trees fell and many people drove their cars into ditches. Meanwhile, the police from Middle Franconia warned of the ice and asked drivers to be careful. The German Weather Service (DWD) warned of gusts of wind, snowdrifts and heavy snowfall in eastern Bavaria and the Alps for the second day in a row.