Germany is grappling with a sudden winter onslaught that has affected large parts of the country, from North Rhine-Westphalia to Saxony and Bavaria. Heavy snowfall, freezing rain, and black ice have led to hundreds of road collisions and severe transport disruptions. The German Meteorological Service warns of further precipitation, which in mountainous regions such as the Harz could bring up to 10 centimeters of fresh snow.
Transport Paralysis and Accidents
Numerous collisions across Germany, including a serious accident in Rhineland-Palatinate. Drivers are struggling with black ice and intense snow.
Extreme Warnings from DWD
Forecasters from Deutscher Wetterdienst warn of freezing rain and an increase in snow cover up to 10 centimeters in the Harz mountains.
Frosty Front Over Berlin
In the capital and Brandenburg, temperatures dropped to -8 degrees. Forecasts predict the winter weather will persist for the entire week.
Northern and central Germany are under the influence of an active low-pressure system from the North Sea, which brought a sudden deterioration in weather and heavy precipitation. The most difficult situation is in states such as Lower Saxony, Bremen, and Hamburg, where layers of snow and ice on roads completely caught drivers off guard. DWD is sounding the alarm, pointing out that freezing rain is creating dangerous black ice on roads. In Hamburg alone, the snow front arrived overnight, paralyzing pedestrian and vehicular traffic, with temperatures hovering around -3 to 0 degrees Celsius. The situation is equally dramatic in the west and south of the country. In Rhineland-Palatinate, a serious accident occurred where a passenger car overturned, resulting in severe injuries to two people. Problems also affected Berlin and Brandenburg, where thermometers dropped to as low as -8 degrees Celsius overnight. Forecasters predict that the winter weather will persist for most of the week, and snowfall will gradually move northeast. In Saxony, in the Ore Mountains region, local snowstorms cannot be ruled out, which could suddenly reduce visibility on transit routes. Germany's road infrastructure is among the most modern in Europe, but extreme weather phenomena, such as sudden transitions from snowfall to freezing rain, regularly paralyze key motorways, especially in the Mittelgebirge upland regions. Despite numerous collisions, public order services in major metropolises such as Hamburg and Berlin are trying to continuously clear the effects of snowstorms. Police are appealing to drivers to exercise particular caution and adjust their speed to extremely difficult conditions. In the mountains, including the summit of Brocken, strong storm-like wind gusts are additionally expected, which, combined with frost, poses a direct threat to tourists. Experts remind that under such conditions, braking distance increases several times, and routine behind the wheel can lead to tragedy. Berlin: -8, Hamburg: -3, Hanover: -2, Erfurt: 2, Dresden: -2 10 cm — this much fresh snow could fall in the Harz mountains within 24 hours [{"dateISO": "2026-02-16", "date": "16 February", "event": "Peak of snowfall and freezing rain across Germany"}, {"dateISO": "2026-02-17", "date": "17 February", "event": "Front shifting northeast, further frost"}, {"dateISO": "2026-02-18", "date": "18 February", "event": "Persistence of winter conditions and local ice formation"}]