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WEATHER

How the mild winter has hit Germany’s ski resorts

Several ski resorts in Germany are having to close their slopes because of the mild temperatures. Here's a look at what you should know.

Published: 6 January 2023 16:11 CET
A snow cannon at Spitzingsee. Due to exceptionally mild temperatures, several ski resorts are having to restrict operations, as it has also been too warm for artificial snowmaking in recent days.
A snow cannon at Spitzingsee. Due to exceptionally mild temperatures, several ski resorts are having to restrict operations, as it has also been too warm for artificial snowmaking in recent days. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Carsten Hoefer

Planning a winter skiing break in Germany? You might have to think about hiking instead.

That’s because several ski resorts in Germany are having to restrict operations – and even close their slopes in some cases. 

Whether it’s the Bavarian Forest or the Allgäu, it has not been really wintry in Germany since the beginning of the ski season in December. 

After the snow melted, operators brought in artifical snow. But it’s even been too warm for that in the last week.

Cable car and resort operators were already expecting a tough winter because of rising energy prices – so the added weather situation is leaving local businesses and economies worried. 

Where are their restrictions?

The ski resort at Brauneck in Lenggries, Bavaria, closed its last slope on Thursday evening, reported regional broadcaster BR24. 

The operators had put in place artificial snow on lots of the pistes at Brauneck. But the artificial base has melted away in the past two weeks due to mild temperatures and lots of rain.

Meanwhile, at Spitzingsee in the district of Miesbach, which is considered to be snow-sure due to its location at 1,100 metres above sea level, just two of the 10 pistes remained open on Friday, the Alpenbahnen said on its website.

Ski lefts and no snow cover at Donnstetten, Baden-Württemberg shortly before the end of December.

Ski lefts and no snow cover at Donnstetten, Baden-Württemberg shortly before the end of December. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marijan Murat

At Hohebogen in the Bavarian Forest there is no skiing until further notice, while others, such as areas at Großer Arber, have postponed the start of the season. The lifts are currently taking hikers up the mountain, though.

In neighbouring Switzerland, some ski resorts have also announced that skiing will be suspended until further notice.

It is unusual for a ski resort to have to shut down operations completely in January. The last time there was a similar situation was seven years ago, when the start of the season was very delayed due to unusually high temperatures.

“We actually had almost the same phenomenon at Christmas 2015,” said Antonia Asenstorfer, spokeswoman for the four ‘Alpen Plus’ areas, which include both Brauneck and Spitzingsee.

Where are there good conditions?

The situation is better at Sudelfeld above Bayrischzell, where 15 of the 27 pistes were reported to be open on Friday thanks to artificial snow.

Several pistes in the Garmisch-Classic ski area, and on the Nebelhorn in Oberstdorf are also open.

Ski lifts are often still running in resorts (even if it’s on a limited basis) and artificial snow has been put down. 

READ ALSO: 7 amazing places to ski in Germany

Although operators still have several weeks until the end of the season in mid-March, it’s currently uncertain when those that have closed will be able to reopen properly. 

Skiers are urged to go slow at Schliersee,

Skiers are urged to go slow at Schliersee, Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Carsten Hoefer

“It’s looking bad at the moment,” weather forecaster Britta Siebert-Sperl told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). The northern side of the Alps is currently the hardest hit, with the snow line frequently exceeding 1,500 metres. On the south side, the situation is better.

The meteorologist does not expect any improvement “until the middle and in all likelihood the end of January”.

“It could snow a little now and then,” she said. “But that will be wet snow, nothing for winter sports enthusiasts. It doesn’t look like winter is coming at the moment. Something would have to change a lot in the (weather) models.”

Operators, however, remain hopeful.

Antonia Asenstorfer said “as soon as temperatures permit, we will make additional snow again”.

“We initially had a dream start this winter with snow and very cold temperatures,” Asenstorfer said. “Then the almost traditional Christmas thaw set in, which unfortunately is particularly pronounced this year.”

Will I get my money back for a ski holiday?

Many holidaymakers will be wondering what they should do, and if they can get their money back. Ski resorts like Splügen-Tambo give money back to guests if the ski resort is closed, and paid ski school lessons as well as multi-day tickets are refunded.

Travel costs, however, are only refunded in rare cases, travel lawyer Paul Degott told DPA.

A lack of snow is one of the possible risks of a skiing holiday and is not within the control of tour operators. An exception is if the tour operator has made certain promises about the destination in its catalogue or on its website – a “snow guarantee” or “guaranteed snow”, for example.

Dangerous conditions

Another thing to keep in mind if you are heading on a ski break is that poor snow conditions have also triggered a discussion about safety.

In Austria, 13 people have been killed on pistes in the current ski season up to January 3rd, as reported by the Curatorship for Alpine Safety (ÖKAS). A total of 11 people died in Tyrol alone, including two young people from Bavaria.

In many places, there are only narrow artificial snowbands on the slopes which make falls dangerous, said the president of the German Ski Instructors Association, Wolfgang Pohl.

Those who fall at high speed and into the non-snow areas next to the slopes could get injured, Pohl said, adding that people risk “colliding with rocks and trees, and that is of course life-threatening”.

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PROPERTY

Why it’s hard to find an apartment with air conditioning in Germany

When temperatures start to get up to 30C or more in Germany, a familiar debate begins. It often starts with a simple question, asked by a new arrival to the country: “Why don’t German homes have air conditioning?”

Published: 25 June 2024 16:58 CEST
Why it's hard to find an apartment with air conditioning in Germany

The tendency to avoid air conditioning (A/C) is not uniquely a German trend. Europeans tend to use A/C less than residents in the US, and some countries in Asia.

But as temperatures have crept slowly upwards due to climate change, and the number of hot days has increased, Europe has seen an increase in demand for air conditioning. Across the continent A/C use has more than doubled since 1990.

But A/C is used much more commonly in countries that see higher temperatures like Spain, Italy or France, whereas it is still uncommon in homes in Germany.

So why does Germany tend to lack air conditioning, and why aren’t more Germans interested in installing it?

It’s not a ‘hot’ country

Ask a German why air conditioning is so rare in the country, and you’ll probably hear some version of “Well Germany is not such a hot country.” Which may be true generally, but is a less than convincing explanation if you hear it on a sunny summer day when it’s 35C outside.

But it is worth keeping in mind that while Germany does have warm summers, often with at least a couple heat waves, super hot days are few compared to warmer countries, like those in southern Europe. 

Given Germany’s weather can really only be described as hot for a few weeks out of each year, and considering the costs of installing and running air conditioning, most Germans figure it’s not worth it.

attic with sliding window

A sliding attic window is designed to help tenants cool off, but it won’t help to open windows during the hottest part of the day. Photo: pa/obs LiDEKO | LiDEKO

This isn’t only reserved for homes, but extends to plenty of public spaces including office and government buildings, and to some public transportation as well. 

In fact, schools and workplaces do occasionally call it quits during hot weather spells in an event called hitzefrei.

READ ALSO: Ditching AC for ‘Hitzefrei’ – Taking on the German summer as a Californian

Air conditioning is energy intensive and expensive

The other side of the argument against air conditioning is that both installation and operating costs can be expensive. Air conditioning tends to be energy inefficient, so using it can significantly increase your utility bill.

From an environmental point of view, all the energy used for air conditioning, if Germany was to start installing A/C at scale, would add to the country’s energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions – both of which Germany is already struggling to cut down year after year as part of its climate goals.

It is an ironic feature of traditional air conditioning that it creates a negative feedback loop: More people rely on air conditioning to stay cool as weather warms, but weather continues warming in part due to emissions from air conditioning.

That said there are cases where access to air conditioning can save lives. In particular elderly people and those with health-risks are prone to heat sensitivity. So while it’s probably good that not every house in Germany has A/C, it’s important that hospitals and some other buildings in a given city do.

READ ALSO: How German cities are adapting to rising temperatures

‘Cold air makes you sick’

Along with the reasonable (if debatable) reasons for the lack of A/C in Germany, there are also cultural factors.

On the social media website Reddit, a user posted the question, “Will more places in Germany start using air conditioning?”

One of the top comments read, “Don’t you know cold air makes you sick….says Oma (the German word for grandma). 

While that comment comes off a bit tongue in cheek, it touches on a real and deeply-ingrained belief that persists among parts of the German population: That exposure to cold, or even maybe a cool breeze, is bad for your health. This includes a draft in your house, called a Durchzug in German.

For this reason, the German Red Cross felt compelled to debunk the Durchzug health myth in a hot weather warning they issued in 2019.

a heat pump is installed

An employee inspects a heat pump in front of a newly built residential building. Heat pumps are also effective for cooling. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Weißbrod

What can you do about the heat?

Regardless of where you stand on the air conditioning debate, if you don’t have a personal A/C unit at home presently, the best way to endure the hottest days of summer may be to take a few tips from the locals.

During my first summer in Germany, I took to leaving the windows open throughout the day, thinking that the occasional warm breeze was the best relief I could hope for at home. But one day my landlord came by and asked me why I was suffering in the heat with the windows open.

He recommended that I instead leave the windows open at night or in the early morning to get some fresh cool air inside, and then keep all the windows closed through the heat of the day. I tried this strategy the next day, and immediately felt that he was right.

Compared to homes in the US, for instance, German homes tend to be very well insulated. This can be equally important in the summer as it means that the interior tends to stay cooler than the outside (as long as you keep it mostly sealed off).

On extremely hot days, you might even keep your shutters down to shade the windows and prevent the sun from shining through.

Of course the effectiveness of the strategy depends on having a home that’s well insulated, including double paned windows and well-sealed doors etc. If you feel that the inside of your house is getting as warm or warmer than the outside, then it’s probably time to open up the windows or go outside and sit in the shade.

Fans are also useful. Best is a ceiling fan designed to rotate counter-clockwise to push air downward, which can maximise wind chill within a home, but floor fans can also help.

Ironically, in the longer term it may actually be heat pumps that help Germany to modernise its cooling infrastructure. 

Heat pumps maximise the efficiency of heating systems by moving warm air around a building, and they can also work with cooling systems. Many heat pump systems on the market today are already built to support both heating and cooling functions, and they are much more energy efficient than classic air condition systems.

READ ALSO: Who can apply for Germany’s new heat pump grants for homes?

Unfortunately for tenants with no heat pump and no A/C, the best you can do for now is take notes of cool places in your city where you can relax in the shade or in the water during the hottest hours or the hottest days.

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