No flight operations in Munich and Memmingen, a canceled Bundesliga game, traffic jams, ice accidents and canceled trains: snow and ice are causing major disruption in southern Germany.
Flight operations were temporarily suspended at Munich and Allgäu airports in Memmingen. FC Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga home game against 1. FC Union Berlin in the afternoon has been canceled. Numerous railway lines around the state capital Munich had to be closed, and passengers spent the night on trains in Ulm and Munich. The heavy snowfall and black ice led to accidents and long traffic jams on the highways. People in other federal states also felt the consequences.
Disruptions at the airports
Due to heavy snowfall, flight operations at Munich Airport are closed until 6 a.m. on Sunday. An airport spokesman announced this on Saturday morning. Passengers were asked not to travel at all. Before departures on Sunday, passengers should contact their airline to find out the status of their flight, the spokesman recommended. The winter service is in action to enable safe operations again. Allgäu Airport in Memmingen also stopped flight operations on Saturday due to the ongoing snowfall. According to the airport, the closure should initially apply until 3 p.m.
A Lufthansa spokesman pointed out that the closure of air traffic in Munich would affect other airports. Around 20 planes that were supposed to land in Munich were diverted to Frankfurt, said a spokesman for airport operator Fraport on Saturday morning. Nuremberg Airport also took in individual aircraft that could no longer head to Munich.
There are also some disruptions in other European countries. The airport in the Scottish city of Glasgow suspended operations on Saturday due to heavy snowfall. Heavy snowfall also led to traffic problems and power outages in the Czech Republic.
Long-distance traffic in the south is canceled – disruptions until Monday
Anyone traveling by train in southern Germany will have to be prepared for severe disruptions until Monday. A railway spokeswoman for the German Press Agency said this on Saturday morning. The reason is the unexpectedly severe onset of winter, including overhead lines that are icy. Munich Central Station will no longer be accessible throughout Saturday.
The train connection has been lifted. The railway said: “All passengers who would like to postpone their trip planned for December 2nd and 3rd in southern Germany due to the onset of winter in southern Germany can use their ticket at a later date.”
Rail traffic in the Ulm area is also severely affected, and there are severe restrictions as far as Lake Constance, said a railway spokeswoman. Long-distance trains will probably not be able to run again between Stuttgart and Singen or Zurich until Sunday. As a dpa reporter reported, a train coming from Stuttgart had to be converted into an overnight train at Ulm main station in the early hours of the morning. Deutsche Bahn also provided a train for stranded passengers at Munich Central Station.
Kilometers of traffic jams on Bavaria’s highways
There were numerous accidents on the roads in southern Bavaria – according to the police, most of them resulted in property damage. The heavy snowfall caused long traffic jams on the highways. On the A8 towards Salzburg, a traffic jam near Munich already stretches for 30 kilometers, said a spokeswoman for the ADAC on Saturday morning. There are currently 96 traffic jams across Germany that are more than ten kilometers long – all of them in Bavaria. The A6 and A9 are also severely affected.
The automobile club recommends temporarily refraining from unnecessary car journeys and, if so, only driving with winter equipment, said the spokeswoman.
Emergency service in constant use – driver dies
The police in Upper Bavaria South urged the population to stay at home. The police, rescue services, fire brigade and clearance services are in constant operation. Many smaller roads outside of towns are heavily snowed or blocked by fallen trees.
Snow and slippery conditions also caused disruptions on roads and railways in large parts of Baden-Württemberg. A 54-year-old driver died in an accident on a snowy road in Emmingen-Liptingen. Passengers must expect train service cancellations, especially in regional services, as a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn (DB) announced on Saturday. The southeast of Baden-Württemberg and the greater Lake Constance area are particularly badly affected.
Up to 40 centimeters of fresh snow in the Allgäu
In the other federal states it was mostly freezing cold, but no accidents were reported for the time being. Hamburg reported five centimeters of fresh snow. The clearing vehicles are in use, it was said.
According to the German Weather Service, the highest amounts of new snow are expected in the Allgäu region with 30 to 40 centimeters by Saturday afternoon. Amounts of fresh snow of ten centimeters are possible in Saxony. In addition, frequent snow showers are expected on the North and Baltic Sea coasts and in the adjacent inland areas, which will spread to the northern low mountain ranges over the course of the day. Light permanent frost is expected throughout the day. Only along the Rhine and in the Emsland as well as directly by the sea will it remain temporarily frost-free in some places.
On Sunday night, severe frost with lows of between minus 10 and minus 15 degrees can be expected, especially in Schleswig-Holstein and the southwestern mountains, it said.
After the heavy snowfall in the Alps and the Ore Mountains, slightly fewer flakes are expected on Sunday night, as meteorologist Robert Hausen from the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach announced on Saturday.
