Snow fell in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, the Thuringian forest and the western Erz (Ore) mountains in Saxony, DWD meteorologist Christian Herold told Berlin newspaper BZ on Wednesday.

“It doesn't happen every year that we get some snowfall even in flatter areas,” Herold said.

He added that while it wasn't unusual for snow to fall in October, the low temperatures in the first half of the month this year are very rare.

In Leipzig thermometers are expected to reach a high of just four degrees Centigrade on Wednesday, while Frankfurt will reach a top temperature just six degrees.

On the north coast and at the Bodensee temperatures will only just reach double figures.

One of the lowest points to see snowfall was Osterfeld in Saxony-Anhalt, only 246 metres above sea level.

The weather situation at 8am on Wednesday October 14th. Image: DWD

Other DWD experts said that it could snow in even lower-lying towns, including Leipzig and Dresden, during the morning.

Further snow is expected in mountainous areas on Wednesday, although it will mostly fall above 1,000 metres.

Temperatures are expected to climb back up the scale after what meteorologist Manuel Voigt called “a short winter interval, more of a one-off”.