On Thursday, wide-spread rain, sleet and snow showers are predicted across much of Germany, the German Weather Service (DWD) reports.

The snow is likely to settle on the ground above 500m and will be especially thick in the Alps and in the Black Forest, where up to 15cm of new snow is expected.

Eastern Germany can expect moments of sunshine but there will be thick cloud and the possibility of thunderstorms in the west throughout the day and showers will continue into the evening in the south and west.

With temperatures reaching highs of just 5C across the country and dropping to as low as -6C in mountain regions, conditions may get a little icy overnight.

On Friday, it's good news for many German ski resorts as thick clouds will bring sleet and snow across central and southern Germany, with even more snowfall in the Alps. The weather in the west and northwest will be changeable with occasional cloud cover and intermittent showers. 

The clouds are predicted to thicken on Friday night and temperatures will drop to around freezing. Rainfall is likely to ease in most areas of the country but there is still a possibility of snowfall in mountain regions.

On Saturday, the north and northwest may finally get their share of the snow with light snowfall predicted in the morning. Unfortunately, the snow is likely to turn to rain as the day goes on before moving southwards.

Snowfall in the Alps will begin to subside in the second half of the day and the weather will stay relatively dry across the south in the evening.

In the day, temperatures across the north will rise to between 1C and 4C, but will remain around freezing in the south and southwest. Temperatures will then drop to between 1C and -5C in the north and between -3C and -8C in the south at night.

On Sunday, more snowfall is predicted in the south and southwest during the day, with thick cloud and rain in the west. Temperatures will rise to between 2C and 5C in the north but will remain around freezing in the south.

As the day goes on there's a chance of snow and sleet in the southeast which is predicted to continue on to Monday and once again snow will continue to fall on high ground.