In Lower Saxony, the temperatures fell below minus 20 degrees in some cases last night. In large parts of northern Germany, snow and ice on roads and rail transport continue to cause problems.
Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians continue to have to expect disabilities – for example in Lower Saxony: “It’s chaotic,” said a spokesman for the Braunschweig motorway police early in the morning. The main lane is closed on Autobahn 2 in the direction of Dortmund between the Wolfsburg and Peine intersection. The truck drivers would park there and sleep. It is still slippery everywhere, the road conditions are still not good. There were hardly any accidents there during the night. “The drivers have apparently adjusted to this and we are glad that nothing more has happened so far.” This was also confirmed by the motorway police in Göttingen. There were no problems on the A7, it said. Only the parking spaces for trucks have become scarce. Yesterday there were enormous traffic jams on the highways in Lower Saxony.
The clearing vehicle burns on the A7 in SH
Because of a burning clearing vehicle, the A7 near Alt Duvenstedt (Rendsburg-Eckernförde district) in Schleswig-Holstein was temporarily fully closed last night. The road there is now clear again.
You can find out the current situation on the streets around the clock in the NDR traffic service.
Further restrictions in rail traffic
Rail travelers also have to expect cancellations and delays. Operation in the Harz-Weser network will remain suspended until at least 10 a.m., the company said German train. In addition, Wolfsburg train station is currently not accessible. There is therefore a replacement bus service between Hanover and Wolfsburg. There are no long-distance trains between Hamburg and Kiel, Hamburg and Lübeck and between Hamburg and Westerland, as the train announced in the morning. The train connections between Hamburg and Frankfurt or Munich as well as between Hamburg and Bremen, Münster and Cologne are also limited and significantly delayed. Planned trips should be checked at least one hour before departure or postponed to another day. Even with the Rail hotline (0 8000) 99 66 33 there is information, as well as on the websites of regional operators such as NordWestBahn and metronome.
It continues to snow locally – seven centimeters of fresh snow in Hamburg
The city cleaning works with snow plows. There are again failures in long-distance rail traffic to the north. more
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In Schleswig-Holstein, the snow is likely to spread even further for the time being. According to the Hamburg meteorologist Frank Böttcher, it could continue to snow until at least this afternoon. According to the German Weather Service, there should be up to 20 centimeters of fresh snow in the Lübeck region. There were also more snowfalls in the Hamburg area last night. In the Hanseatic city, the city cleaning department with 840 employees is on duty to clear the streets. “We have to struggle with snow at a height of five to seven centimeters and have snow plows on the emergency vehicles. That doesn’t happen too often in Hamburg,” said Andree Möller from the city cleaning service. Over 3,000 kilometers of road alone are spread.
Places in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania could be cut off
Individual accidents occurred in the onset of rush hour traffic. It remained with sheet metal damage. more
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There was also a lot of snow and wind yesterday for the Wittow area on Rügen and Hiddensee in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. According to the meteorologist Stefan Kreibohm from the NDR weather studio on Hiddensee, there were already 35 centimeters of snow there on Tuesday. Today the snowfall will also cover the Darß and the coast of Mecklenburg and could possibly reach the Schaalsee on the western border, said the weather expert. In Wittow and on Hiddensee it could be another half a meter. Snow drifts could also occur again. Kreibohm suspects that some places could then no longer be reached. There were no serious traffic accidents due to snow and ice in MV last night and this morning. So far there have only been sheet metal damage, said a spokesman for the Rostock police. The Neubrandenburg police announced that the streets had already been cleared very well despite the weather.
Lower Saxony: Down to minus 27 degrees
The heavy snowfalls of the past few days are now followed by permafrost. Last night the temperatures sometimes dropped below minus 20 degrees Celsius. The German Weather Service (DWD) reported minus 22 degrees for 6 a.m. in Göttingen. In Wetze / Northeim, minus 27 degrees were measured at 5 a.m. Two-digit minus degrees were also reached in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – in Anklam and Neubrandenburg around minus 12 degrees, in Grambow-Schwennenz minus 16 degrees.
Even during the day, temperatures are not expected to rise above zero anywhere in northern Germany today. The maximum values are between -1 degrees on the coast and -10 degrees in the Upper Harz.
Again, face-to-face classes are canceled at many schools
Many schools in Lower Saxony remain closed today. Instead of lessons, however, homeschooling takes place. A list of the schools affected can be found here:
In many municipalities in Lower Saxony there are no classes even today. But homeschooling is carried out. more
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Permafrost period also affects inland navigation
From this evening on, the Mittelland Canal and the Elbe Lateral Canal will be closed to inland navigation. This was announced by the responsible waterways and shipping office in Braunschweig. As a precaution, the icebreakers that are usually on these canals are pulled onto the Weser in order to break ice floes in front of weirs. A spokesman said that the pressure that was burdened by the ice on these facilities should be reduced. With a view to the announced permafrost period, the icebreakers could only keep the Mittelland Canal and the Elbe Lateral Canal free to a limited extent anyway. As soon as the ice situation relaxes, the canals should be reopened for shipping.
Ferry traffic to the islands severely restricted
Many ferries to the East Frisian Islands are restricted or canceled. The Harlesiel-Wangerooge ferry service will also be discontinued today, and Spiekeroog could then also be affected. There are also restrictions on ferry traffic to the North Frisian Islands. Divided for the Baltic Sea Scandlines with that the Rostock-Gedser ferry service has been resumed. On the Puttgarden-Rødby route, the ferries are operating as planned.
Passengers are strongly advised to find out about current cancellations and postponements online on the shipping company’s website before starting their journey.
Danger to life: do not step on ice surfaces!
Even if it can be tempting: under no circumstances should the ice surfaces in northern Germany be stepped on, warn meteorologists and authorities. Despite the low temperatures, the ice is still very thin and not stable. There is a mortal danger.
What will the weather be like today, tomorrow and in the coming days in the north? The outlook. more
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Traffic jams, construction sites and hazard warnings: current reports on traffic for Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. more
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In which region is the next storm threatened? Here you can find the current warning messages from the German Weather Service. more
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The strength of the wind is measured in Beaufort. The storm scale ranges from calm to hurricane. Our picture gallery reveals how the individual levels differ. Picture gallery
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The winter of 78/79 plunged the north into chaos with its icy cold and extremely heavy snow. more
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