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WEATHER

Central Germany gets April Fooled with heavy snowfall

Residents of the central states Hesse and Thuringia were surprised to find snow ringing in the start of April on Friday, and bringing a bit of chaos to the morning commute.

Central Germany gets April Fooled with heavy snowfall
A man shovels snow on April 1st 2016 in Thuringia. Photo: DPA.

Hesse and Thuringia both experienced heavy snowfall on Friday morning, which essentially shut down the Autobahn 5 in north and eastern Hesse due to traffic jams.

In Alsfeld, Hesse, a 32-year-old driver's semi-truck slid on a slippery roadway, colliding with two other trucks. The driver was seriously injured and taken to hospital, police said.

A truck collision on the A5 in Hesse. Photo: DPA.

Construction work on a roadway headed toward Frankfurt combined with the snow meant traffic jams for up to ten kilometres and snowplough crews were continuously at work. Many drivers had already fitted their cars with summer tires at the recommendation of local authorities.

Around Fulda, firefighters had to clear roads of numerous fallen trees amid strong winds and freshly fallen snow.

The central and southern parts of Thuringia were mainly affected and there were some minor traffic accidents.

At Erfurt airport, 13 centimetres of snow had piled up, according to Jens Oehmichen of the German Weather Service (DWD) in Leipzig. And the Thuringian Forest saw between seven and nine centimetres of new snow.

But further south in Bavaria, residents there found near summertime weather with temperatures reaching a high of 23.7C in Berchtesgadener Land on Thursday.

Snowfall in Thuringia on April 1st. Photo: DPA.

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WEATHER

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

The moment many people around Germany have been waiting for is almost here: as of Thursday, temperatures are expected to crack the 20C mark and stay warm through the start of spring.

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

Whether it’s the pink cherry blossom trees which have started to bloom, lighter evenings or people walking around with ice cream cones, the signs of springs have already started to show around Germany in March.

Now the weather is also catching up: following rain storms on Wednesday, the mercury is expected to reach at least 20C in many parts of the Bundesrepublik on Thursday. 

READ ALSO: Seven signs that Spring has arrived in Germany

First there’s some damper news: On Wednesday, Germany – in particular the southwest – is expected to be hit by the storms. In the Black Forest, 30 to 40 litres per square metre will fall by midday, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

In the Alps, light snowfall will set in above 1,000 to 1,200 metres, with fresh snowfall of around five centimetres expected. 

The rain will ease by the following morning, but it will remain cloudy.

Up to 21C on Thursday

On Thursday, after the morning the fog disappears, people can look forward to a sunny and dry day – especially in the south and western parts of Germany. 

Temperatures will rise to a pleasant 14 to 21C degrees, with the highest values on the Upper Rhine. 

In mountainous areas and by the sea, it will remain somewhat cooler at 10C to 14C. 

Friday will be characterised by changeable weather: there will be sunny spells as well as rain showers, which will spread from the west and may be heavy in places – including thunderstorms. 

Temperatures will be between 14C and 18C degrees, and in the Lausitz region in eastern Germany it could even reach a warm 20 degrees.

Warmer weeks

While this Sunday could still see some single digit temperatures in northern parts of Germany – such as 9C in Berlin and Hamburg – the coming week is set to experience continually warmer weather, remaining at 14C and higher. 

The first day of spring officially begins this year with the Spring Equinox on March 19th. The days will become even lighter in Germany after Daylight Savings Time, which this year takes place in the early hours of Easter Sunday, or March 31st.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in March 2024

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