Onset of winter at night: freezing cold, up to 30 centimeters of snow and slippery roads

Weather change overnight
Now it’s suddenly getting icy

By Claudia Carrier
November 19, 2024, 3:11 p.m

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A tricky winter night lies ahead. Because with the passage of storm Quiteria, things are not only becoming extremely unsettled in Germany, polar air is also flowing in. The day’s snowfall spreads south. The risk of accidents due to slippery roads increases significantly.

The early winter weather, which has turned some roads in northern Germany into slippery slopes since morning, is entering another round. In the afternoon, heavy showers and sleet thunderstorms will appear from the North Sea, which will quickly spread southwards and reach the Alps at night. The snowfall limit drops to altitudes of around 300 meters, in places and even into the lowlands in heavy showers.

The snow depths that accumulate there are considerable: 2 to 7 centimeters of fresh snow is possible in the low mountain ranges, and up to 10 centimeters in congested areas. In the Alps it snows even harder and for longer. With the heavy, continuous snowfall, up to 15 centimeters of snow accumulates here, and up to 30 centimeters of snow in jammed areas. That’s enough for an impressive winter landscape.

As Low Quiteria brings polar air in tow, temperatures across the country will drop to -3 to 4 degrees at night. There is frost in the ground in many places. It stays cold even during the day and the temperatures even feel icy cold with the wind. At most they reach values ​​between -1 degrees in the mountains and 6 to 7 degrees on the coast and in the extreme southwest.

Be careful on the roads

In these winter conditions, the risk of slippery roads is of course high. Snow, slush, freezing moisture and snowdrifts can make some journeys dangerous and slippery. There were already a number of accidents on slippery roads in the north on Tuesday.

The winter weather will subside on Wednesday. Above 300 meters it may continue to snow. Sometimes the snow even makes it to the lowest altitudes. The low mountain ranges also have the best conditions for snowfall. In the Alps, white flakes can be expected at least in the morning, but here the snowfall is quickly decreasing. Only in the southwest does it remain mostly dry.

The night of Thursday will be even colder, then there will be frost almost across the country and the risk of freezing water. In the mountains there is a risk of slippery roads due to snow and sometimes even snowdrifts.

The wintry weather will continue until the weekend. After that it looks like there will be a significant change: then a thaw is announced.