Winter is coming to Germany at last! Well, for around 48 hours. The temperatures will plummet on Thursday and Friday, bringing storms, sleet and snow, before getting milder again over the weekend. Blink and you’ll miss it.

48-hour winter to break up grey January in Germany

It may officially be winter in Germany, but you wouldn’t know it from looking outside. So far, in January, the weather has been determinedly wet, cloudy and grey - and a good 2,5 degrees above the average temperature, according to daswetter.com. Now, however, the country can expect a two-day sprinkling of winter white, as what meteorologists have dubbed a “lightning winter” (Blitzwinter) is on its way. 

Temperatures are plummeting, and so Thursday and Friday will be days of sleet and wet snow in many parts of Germany. “Icy polar air will thunder over Germany for 48 hours,” said meteorologist Dominik Jung from wetter.net. Thursday will bring a flow of extremely cold mountain air from the north over Germany, making for some decidedly wintry weather. 

Snow on the cards in Berlin and Munich 

At high altitudes around 1.500 metres, the temperature is expected to drop suddenly from around 4 degrees to minus 12 degrees, making the conditions ripe for some heavy snow showers. The conditions will be stormy in mountainous regions, with strong winds aplenty, and so snowdrifts are possible. 

Even at lower altitudes, parts of the country including Berlin, Munich and Nuremberg can expect to see snow showers, as the temperature drops to between 1 and 5 degrees. In low mountain ranges, there could be up to 10  to 15 centimetres of snow. 

If you’re out driving on Thursday, take care as the roads could become icy in the cold and wet weather. At high altitudes, make sure you have winter tyres fitted to your vehicle. 

Milder weather to return by the weekend

With it having been so wet and mild, the snow isn’t likely to settle everywhere, and even where it does form a thin blanket of white, it won’t last long, as Saturday will bring another shift in the weather. 48 hours later and winter will be over! 

The weekend will be mostly wet and windy, with occasional snow showers possible in higher altitudes above 600 metres. Otherwise most other German cities will just see rain - a forecast that’s likely to continue to the end of the month. Wetter.net is predicting temperatures of between 0 and 7 degrees on Saturday, and 2 and 8 degrees on Sunday.