This December could be the coldest in many years as temperatures of minus 20 degrees, ice and heavy snow are set to hit Germany in the coming days.

Germany braces for freezing temperatures

As polar air sneaks towards Germany the country is bracing itself for one of the coldest Decembers in many years. Current estimates show that temperatures in much of Germany could slip as low as minus 20 degrees over the coming weekend, despite the calendar winter only beginning on December 21.

Those who are lucky will see the second blanket of snow coating parts of Germany, likely more spectacular than the sprinkle which crossed mostly northern parts of the country in late November, as coverage could be as heavy as 20 centimetres.

Up until now the people of Germany have proven their dedication to saving energy amid a European crisis, with SPIEGEL reporting that one in 10 people in Germany didn't put the heating on until late November. But the coming sub-temperatures may mean the put-on-another-jumper method of saving money on utilities may not prove as effective.

The jury is still out on a German white Christmas

Though the last two Decembers in Germany have had icy temperatures and snow at the beginning of the month, the country hasn’t seen a such snowy early December for the last 10 years. 

However, the last time we had such a cold start to the month, a storm brought warm air to Germany just before the Christmas holidays. The jury is still out this year on making Bing Crosby’s annual dream of a white Christmas a reality.