The German Weather Service (DWD) has forecast snow and sleet across eastern and southern Germany through Friday and much of Saturday.

Temperatures were forecast to drop to as low as -10C in southeast Germany on Friday evening.

“Even though tomorrow marks the beginning of spring, winter does not yet want to hand over the sceptre,” observed Markus Übel of the DWD.

In the Erzgebirge, a mountain range in eastern Germany, a further few centimetres of snow are forecast to fall on Friday on top of the 75 centimetres of snow still covering the range’s highest mountain, the Fichtelberg.

In the Bavarian Alps and the Black Forest, the persistent cold weather means that a metre of snow still lies in the higher terrains.

Saturday will see an improvement in the weather through much of the country in the morning before more rain clouds march in from the north.

“The temperatures won’t really wake from their slumber though, and will insist on remaining at a late-winter 1C to 8C, while in the southern foothills of the Alps and at higher altitudes there will be constant frost,” said Übel.

But Sunday is set to bring the first hint of spring, as the high system slowly moves into the west of the country.

Temperatures will rise to 10C even as showers and cold winds are to be expected.

Sunday will stay cold in the southeast though, with rain predicted for lower regions and snowfall on higher ground.

Throughout the coming week, the weather is expected to improve as a high pressure system spreads across the whole country, and temperatures will rise into the double digits by the end of the week.

“This will put an end to the unsettled weather and bring more sunshine,” said Übel. “In addition, the cold air passage from the north will be cut off, meaning spring will finally arrive – albeit somewhat late and still rather hesitantly.”

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