Meteorological spring begins in Europe with exceptionally mild weather, bringing temperatures reaching up to 23 degrees Celsius locally. While residents of Italy, Germany, and Spain enjoy the sun, mountainous regions are grappling with rapid warming. In the Harz Mountains, the melting snow cover has forced operators to close the last active slopes and ski lifts, effectively ending this year's winter season in the region.
End of Season in the Harz
Due to high temperatures and snowmelt, all ski lifts and runs in this region have been closed.
Temperature Anomalies
Germany recorded locally up to 23 degrees Celsius, and thermometers in Berlin reached 20 degrees.
Spring in Italy
A stable high-pressure system brings temperatures around 19 degrees and heralds a permanent farewell to winter weather.
The beginning of March 2026 brings Western and Southern Europe weather conditions more typical of full spring than the end of winter. Across Germany, thermometers show values well above the norm, reaching up to 20 degrees in Berlin and Brandenburg, and even 23 degrees Celsius in the country's southwest. Such strong warming caused an immediate deterioration of conditions in lower mountain areas. In the Harz massif, a sharp temperature rise led to rapid snowmelt, resulting in the closure of all downhill runs. This situation reflects a broader trend, as the past winter in many regions of the Alps and Central Germany has been classified as exceptionally dry and record-mild. Italy and Spain are also experiencing the arrival of meteorological spring on a grand scale. On the Apennine Peninsula, a stable high-pressure system ensures cloudless skies and temperatures reaching 19 degrees. Although forecasters predict light rainfall in some regions, the overall trend points to a definitive end of winter. Similar sentiments prevail in Spain, where media outlets are announcing an official farewell to frost. Despite the sunshine, meteorologists warn of large diurnal temperature fluctuations, recommending layered clothing as mornings remain crisp, especially in Bavaria, where dense fog persists. The phenomenon of premature spring temperatures has become the norm in the last decade, forcing ski resorts located below 1500 meters above sea level to completely redefine their business model and invest in year-round tourism.Experts from the Austrian meteorological institute note that the ending February fits into a series of weather anomalies. The stable weather phase in southern Europe contrasts with transient cloudiness in the north of the continent, but the common denominator everywhere is the same: a lack of frost. In Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, the sunny weather has attracted thousands of people to parks, which is an unusual phenomenon for this time of year. Sunday is expected to maintain this trend, offering up to 16-18 degrees of warmth in most regions of Central Europe. „L'hiver 2026 restera dans les mémoires comme l'un des plus courts et des plus chauds de l'histoire des mesures en Europe occidentale.” (The winter of 2026 will be remembered as one of the shortest and warmest in the history of measurements in Western Europe.) — Météo-France (general context)
Perspektywy mediów: Liberal media emphasize the impact of climate change on the shortening ski season and temperature anomalies. Conservative media focus on the benefits of nice weather and early warming for the service sector and well-being.