Germany is experiencing an extraordinary end to the meteorological winter, with temperatures reaching 23 degrees Celsius in the southwestern part of the country. The German Meteorological Service (DWD) points to a February full of extremes – from frosty beginnings to record heat waves. Although some regions recorded the heaviest snowfall since 2012, the overall winter statistics indicate conditions that were warmer, drier, and sunnier than the long-term average.
Record heat in the south
In southwestern Germany, thermometers showed 23 degrees, which is an anomaly for the end of February.
Variation in snowfall
The north of the country recorded the most snow in 14 years, while the rest of the states were dry.
End of ski season
Resorts in Hesse are ending operations due to rapid warming and lack of snow cover.
This year's February in Germany will go down in meteorological history as a month of extreme weather phenomena. At the end of the month, southwestern regions of the country recorded temperatures around 23 degrees Celsius, which most likely breaks previous records for this period. In Thuringia, thermometers showed over 20 degrees, forcing ski resort operators, among others in Hesse, to end the winter season and prepare for the arrival of an early spring. These phenomena are part of a broader trend of mild winters, which in North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland also manifested in record rainfall coupled with a lack of sunshine. Systematic temperature measurements in Germany conducted by the DWD allow for comparing current data with the reference period 1961–1990, highlighting the progressive warming of the climate in Central Europe.Analysis prepared by Deutscher Wetterdienst indicates significant regional variation. While the south and west struggled with wet conditions, eastern states such as Saxony and Thuringia experienced an exceptionally dry and sunny winter. Brandenburg, in turn, was classified as the coldest region of the past winter, although even there parameters deviated from the traditionally severe frosts known from previous decades. An interesting exception is Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein, where this winter was the snowiest since 2012, representing a rare case against the dominant trend of disappearing snow cover in low-lying parts of the country. „Der Februar war ein Monat der Extreme, vom frostigen Start bis zum frühlingshaften Finale mit neuen Rekordwerten.” (February was a month of extremes, from a frosty start to a spring-like finale with new record values.) — DWD statementExperts emphasize that although local snowfall might have given the impression of a traditional winter, the overall hydrological balance raises concerns in agriculture. In many places, the winter was too dry, and without frost that structures the soil, it could negatively affect plant vegetation in the upcoming season. Statistics show that January and February were significantly warmer than the average of previous years, which in the long-term perspective fits into the cycle of climate changes observed throughout the North Sea and Baltic Sea basin.