Heavy snowfall has paralyzed large parts of Bavaria. Thousands of households are without electricity, especially in the foothills of the Alps. At the Munich transport hub, passengers have to expect disruptions and cancellations for longer on flights and train journeys.
The winter chaos in Bavaria continues: heavy snowfalls have led to power outages in numerous cities and communities. Thousands of households in Bayernwerk’s network area are without power, a spokesman said. The focus is on the area around Munich as well as the areas of Penzberg, Kolbermoor, Freilassing, Parsberg, Vilshofen, Eggenfelden and Regen.
Trees had fallen on lines, and in some cases lines were damaged or torn simply by the snow load. Service teams have been on duty since the night to repair damage to power lines and restore power supply. In view of the announced further snowfall, further power outages can be expected.
High strain on emergency services
The winter chaos in Bavaria also poses challenges for rescue workers and aid organizations. “In some districts of southern Bavaria, the emergency services are reaching their limits despite snow chains and all-wheel drive – without the support of the mountain rescue service, it is sometimes impossible to get through,” said a spokesman for the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK). In addition, in one district, volunteer rapid response groups were alerted to support the emergency services.
Since the night, the BRK and the Technical Relief Agency (THW) have also been helping to evacuate trains and look after the occupants of broken down vehicles on motorways. According to the information, THW volunteers also helped in many places to shovel the wet masses of snow from roofs or to clear crashed cars and trucks from the streets in order to keep traffic moving if possible.
Authorities advise against driving
The police in Munich completely advised against driving due to the weather conditions. Citizens should “urgently avoid unnecessary journeys” and only drive “if it is unavoidable,” said a spokesman. Cars should be equipped with winter tires and drivers should pay attention to the appropriate speed. Given the heavy snowfall, the traffic situation is “extremely challenging”.
A statement from the BRK says: “We join the call of the Upper Bavaria South Police Headquarters: Stay at home if possible! The risk of accidents is immensely increased, every avoidable trip that is forgone counts and relieves the burden on the rescue workers in those affected regions.”
Flight stop in Munich until early morning
Flight operations at Munich Airport are suspended until 6 a.m. on Sunday morning. According to a spokesman, 760 flights have been affected so far. “The reason for this is the persistent heavy snowfall yesterday, overnight and this morning,” the airport said in a statement. The winter service is in constant use to enable safe flight operations again.
Passengers were asked not to travel at all. Before departures on Sunday, passengers should contact their airline to find out the status of their flight, a spokesman for Munich Airport recommended. The Allgäu Airport in Memmingen also temporarily stopped flight operations. A Lufthansa spokesman pointed out that the closure of air traffic in Munich would affect other airports.
Deutsche Bahn: Recommendation to postpone trips
Due to the onset of winter, there were also major disruptions in rail traffic. The railway announced that long-distance traffic had been stopped in the greater Munich area. It was temporarily impossible to reach Munich Central Station. “We recommend postponing trips to and from Munich,” said the railway.
“We can’t yet say what things will look like in the next few days,” said a railway spokeswoman. Severe disruption is expected until Monday. The railway said: “All passengers who would like to postpone their trip planned for December 2nd and 3rd in southern Germany due to the onset of winter in southern Germany can use their ticket at a later date.”
FC Bayern game canceled
Rail traffic also came to a standstill in the Munich city area. “Due to the weather, operations on buses, trams and S-Bahn have unfortunately been suspended for today for safety reasons,” said the Munich Transport Company (MVG). There could also be failures and disruptions on the subway.
Due to security risks and the traffic situation, FC Bayern Munich’s planned home game against 1. FC Union Berlin was canceled. FC Bayern’s traditional Christmas visits to the fan clubs scheduled for Sunday were also canceled.
Danger of avalanches in the Bavarian Alps
The heavy snowfall is causing an increased risk of avalanches in the Bavarian Alps. Above 1,600 meters there is warning level three on the five-level scale and therefore a significant avalanche danger, said the avalanche warning center of the Bavarian State Office for the Environment. The main problem is the fresh snow. Even a single winter athlete can trigger slab avalanches.
According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there was more than 75 centimeters of snow in places in the Bavarian Alpine foothills today, and more than a meter in some places in the Bavarian Forest. In the Alps and at high altitudes in the Bavarian Forest, snowfall is expected to stop overnight.
There was snow and frost in other federal states too. Slightly fewer flakes are to be expected on Sunday night, said DWD meteorologist Robert Hausen. Severe frost with lows between minus 10 and minus 15 degrees must be expected, especially in Schleswig-Holstein and the southwestern mountains, it was said.