German village logs -28.9 Celsius as cold snap persists
Alex Berry
February 15, 2021
A village in the Erz mountains recorded Germany's coldest temperature of the winter so far. In Berlin, icy scenes prompted revelers to put their skates on — only for police to try to disperse the crowds.
The village of Kühnhaide near the Czech border is consistently among the coldest spots in Germany — though it's too remote to be part of the official DWD measuring network Image: Sebastian Willnow/dpa/picture alliance
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An Atlantic depression left many parts of Germany with icy roads and weather warnings on Monday. Forecasters say this particularly cold winter period is almost over.
The Kachelmann weather service recorded this season's lowest temperature in the village of Kühnhaide, on the German-Czech border, Sunday night.
People gathered in large numbers in some places to enjoy the Valentine's Day weekendImage: Vladimir Menck/SULUPRESS/picture alliance
The record low of minus 28.9 degrees Celsius (-20 F) is unofficial, as it was not picked up by the German Meteorological Service (DWD), whose network does not cover the village.
The Kachelmann weather service announced the temperature on Twitter, reporting: "The cold depression last night, again in the east with some -20s. In Marienberg-Kühnhaide in the Erz mountains, it was at least -29 degrees, the coldest night this winter."
The DWD recorded its lowest temperature for the current winter season on February 10, when the temperature dropped to -26.7 degrees in Mühlhausen-Görmar, in the eastern state of Thuringia.
Germans frolicking on thin ice
Many Germans took to the frozen lakes and rivers over the weekend despite warnings from the police.
A police helicopter circled over Berlin in an attempt to clear the ice. Several hundred people reportedly walked out onto lake Müggelsee, ignoring calls to vacate the area. However, domestic media also questioned the proportionality of a police helicopter hovering low over the scene and kicking up clouds of snow and ice among the crowd.
Police and emergency services have repeatedly told people to stay off the ice as it isn't thick enough to be safe in most placesImage: Ying Tang/NurPhoto/picture alliance
About 2,000 were lured to a frozen section of Lake Constance in the south of Germany, on the border with Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Bavarian emergency services found themselves having to warn people on Monday of the risk of breaking through thin ice.
The winds they are a' changin'
Weather forecasts project that the cold snap will come to an end during the week, with rain replacing snow in some regions and temperatures climbing back above freezing point.
Warmer weather will soon return, according to German forecastersImage: Michael Probst/AP Photo/picture alliance
"The weather situation will change just as the week begins," the DWD reported on Monday.
The Atlantic temperatures that have turned Germany to ice are coming to an end, and experts predict temperatures of up to 13 degrees Celsius in the warmest parts of the country in the coming days.
Germany snowed in by extreme winter weather
A major snowstorm caused injuries, accidents, railway and football match cancellations across northern and central Germany. Forecasters say the snowstorm is set to bring even lower temperatures in the upcoming week.
Image: Jens Büttner/dpa/picture alliance
Snow blankets northern, eastern Germany
Pedestrians walk along the Elbe River in Dresden. In its warning, Germany's weather service warned of an "extraordinary onset of winter," and said the snowstorm has affected northern and central parts of Germany the most.
Image: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/picture alliance
Extreme weather warning issued
A jogger runs close to the Reichstag building in Berlin. DWD, the German Weather Service, issued an extreme weather warning, saying emergency crews have been put on standby across the country.
Image: Christoph Soeder/dpa/picture alliance/dpa
Sled and slide
Adults and children in the eastern state of Saxony enjoy a day out in the snow with winter activities such as sledding and snow boarding. The snow seen here near the town of Altenberg is noticeably tainted by Sahara sand.
Image: Matthias Schrader/AP/picture alliance
Bundesliga games called off
Multiple football games were cancelled on Sunday due to severe weather. The Bundesliga game between Arminia Bielefeld and Werder Bremen was cancelled just hours before it was due to begin, while the second-division game between Paderborn and Heidenheim was also called off.
Image: Arminia Bielefeld/dpa/picture alliance
Rail connections cancelled across Germany
A regional train heads in the direction of Koblenz, in North Rhine-Westphalia. Large portions of Germany's most populous state woke up to a blanket of snowfall. Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany's train operator, canceled several routes around the country, and has offered refunds in the affected regions.
Image: Fabian Strauch/dpa/picture alliance
Reduced visibility causes accidents
People walk along an avenue in Berlin. The storm, which has caused dense snow drifts and limited visibility, resulted in dozens of injuries and traffic accidents around Germany.
Image: Florian Gaertner/photothek/imago images
Frozen motorways see spike in accidents
A tree branch is frozen is Siegen, in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Police closed several slippery motorways as hundreds of accidents were reported across the country. In NRW alone, authorities said a total of 222 car accidents had been registered since Saturday.
Image: Leon Kuegeler/REUTERS
Stuck in traffic
Heavy snow fall and powerful wind across Germany has delayed traffic in a number of cities, posing a challenge for drivers trying to make their way around. Winter storms brought up to 32 centimeters (12 inches) of snow, wind gusting up to 80 kilometers per hour (49 mph) and meter-high snowdrifts.
Image: Hendrik Schmidt/dpa/picture alliance
People urged to stay at home
Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer advised people to avoid travelling at the start of the week. On Sunday, rail and road traffic came to a standstill in many cities. Police closed motorways said to be as slippery as glass.
Image: Robert Michael/dpa/picture alliance
Homeless at risk
A woman stands by snow-covered stairs in Berlin. Several states in Germany have been covered with more than 20 centimeters of snow. Homeless people are particularly at risk during the storms. Rescue crews brought several homeless people in North Rhine Westphalia to shelters. In Berlin, protesters called for the reopening of a camp where many homeless people live before it was cleared.
Image: Florian Gaertner/photothek/imago images
Capital blanketed in white
Berlin's iconic Brandenburg gate gets a cleaning during heavy snowfall. Berliners were seen on public transport over the weekend armed with sleds as they headed to hill-tops for a day of tobogganing.
Image: Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images
Black ice hits central Germany
A woman with an umbrella crosses the road in Hanover, Lower Saxony. The DWD issued its highest warnings for parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt on Saturday. Black ice was also forecast for parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia and Saxony.
