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WEATHER

Weather: Parts of Germany to see up to 40 cm of snow as temperatures dip

A storm named 'Dimitrious' came to Germany this week, leading to intense snowfall in parts of the country. The weather is expected to be calmer, albeit colder, in the coming days.

Published: 13 January 2021 16:00 CET
Weather: Parts of Germany to see up to 40 cm of snow as temperatures dip
Drivers moved slowly over snow and ice covered roads in Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

The storm caused traffic chaos in some parts of Germany in the early hours of Wednesday.

In northern Lower Saxony, a section of highway was closed due to several black ice accidents, and in the south and west there were numerous traffic jams and delays due to broken down vehicles. 

By early Wednesday morning, at least one person had died in accidents and several were seriously injured. However, there were mostly minor accidents causing car damage and non-serious injuries, according to regional police departments.

Fresh snow in Stolberg, Saxony-Anhalt on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

The weather was expected to remain wintry during the day on Wednesday, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

In the evening the storm is set to weaken, but will bring a lot of rain, reported DWD. Residents of northern and eastern Germany will see a mix of snow and sleet, and also possibly thunderstorms during the night. 

Those in southern Germany will want to put on those snow boots if they head outdoors: areas stretching from the Black Forest to the Alps will experience heavy snowfall until at least Friday morning. 

Within this period, snowfall of 10 cm is expected in the Upper Black Forest. In the Alps and Alpine foothills up to 20 to 30 cm of snow could fall, and as much as 40 cm is expected in the Upper Allgäu and the Werdenfelser Land.

A dog plays in fresh snow in Garmisch-Parternkirchen, Bavaria, on Wednesday. Photo: DPA

Yet the rest of the country is likely to see dry and sunny weather for the remainder of the week, with some lighter snow showers in the east.

Still, the country will remain bitterly cold with highs between 0 and 4C during the day, and with lows of at least -2C at night, including in Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt.

From Friday to Sunday, frost is to be expected in many places during the day, with some rainfall. The sun is set to emerge in most places, though (fingers crossed for that).

Vocabulary

sleet – (die) Graupel 

rainfall/precipitation – (der) Niederschlag 

thunderstorm – (das) Gewitter

snow showers – (die) Schneeschauer

We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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LIVING IN GERMANY

Inside Germany: Boozy public holidays, bilingual kids and the countdown to Euro 2024

From public holidays to getting ready for Euro 2024 and how to help children grow up in a bilingual household, here's what we're talking about in Germany this week.

Published: 4 May 2024 08:19 CEST
Inside Germany: Boozy public holidays, bilingual kids and the countdown to Euro 2024

Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

A good year for public holidays (especially May) 

After the long and dark winter in Germany, it’s a relief to see more daylight and even some sun. And when spring rolls around, there’s another nice perk of living in Germany – public holidays. This season is when you get to relax, not work as much and enjoy being outside. At the end of March, we had a couple of days off for Easter and in May there are several Feiertage. 

We kicked off the month with International Workers’ Day or Labour Day, known as Tag der Arbeit in Germany. Luckily, the weather was pleasant and warm across the country as people attended demonstrations, May Day parades or relaxed in the sun. I took a turn to see the festivities in Berlin’s Kreuzberg area – a traditional spot for Tag der Arbeit gatherings – in the afternoon but was quickly stressed out by the crowds. I don’t know if the sun had gone to everyone’s head but it did seem like people were drinking more this year than usual. 

Next Thursday, May 9th, is Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) which is also a public holiday. Of course this is also Fathers’ Day or Vatertag in Germany. It’s another one where you are likely to run into a lot of drunk people. It has always amused me that it’s a tradition for men to fill a cart with booze and go hiking with their drinks in the afternoon. Next up on Monday May 20th is Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag) which is another Feiertag – but maybe will be less boozy than the others. Lastly, there’s a regional holiday on Thursday May 30th for Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) – but it’s not nationwide. 

It’s safe to say that it’s a pretty good year for public holidays in Germany since most don’t fall on the weekend. As long-time readers of The Local will know, one of my biggest bugbears about living in Germany is that we lose a holiday if the event does not fall on a week day. But never mind the holidays, who has channelled their inner German and already booked their ‘bridge days’ off?

READ ALSO: Bridge days – how to maximise your public holiday like a German 

Countdown on for the Euros in Germany

June is a busy month in Germany. Not only is the new citizenship law coming into force (on June 26th!), but the UEFA European Football Championship or Euro 2024 kicks off. A total of 24 teams are gearing up to compete in the tournament, which takes place from June 14th to July 14th. Over 22 match days, a total of 51 games will be played.

It’s quite a special occasion for me because Germany’s national team is taking on Scotland in the very first game in Munich – and I am Scottish! I’m excited for my fellow country men and women to pop over from the island (although I do hope everyone is on their best behaviour). 

A view of Group A for Euro 2024.

A view of Group A in the Euro 2024 tournament. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christian Charisius

Although I’m not a huge football fan, I do enjoy these big tournaments and the atmosphere in Germany is always fantastic. It’s usually very inclusive with screenings set up in beer gardens and even outside off-licences or Spätis as they are called in Berlin. People tend to let their guards down, mingle with strangers and enjoy the beautiful game. Of course I will be hoping that Scotland win. Who are you rooting for in the tournament?

READ ALSO: Euro 2024 – What can you expect in Germany during Europe’s biggest football frenzy?

Tips on bringing up bilingual children 

I was delighted to hear from readers about their experiences of helping raise their children in a bilingual or even multilingual environment. 

Many of the respondents to our recent survey said that parents should have trust in the German education system – and stick to their native tongue at home. 

Siniša, 44, from Hesse, who speaks Croatian and English at home, said: “Speak your native language at home. The school will ‘cover’ German and other languages.”

Steve, 55, who lives in Munich and speaks English and Spanish with his daughter, added: “Be consistent and raise your child in your native tongue. At a local school, they will learn German quickly.”

“For international parents, I think it’s very important that their children do not lose touch with their mother tongue, as it is a very special part of their identity,” said Prashanth, 42, who lives in Munich.

Read our full story for more, and don’t forget to listen to our Germany in Focus podcast where we hear from The Local Germany’s former editor Rachel Stern talk about her experience of raising her daughter Amelie, who is almost three-years-old, in a bilingual home. 

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