Between traffic chaos and snow fun: The onset of winter

Weather - Between traffic chaos and snow fun: The onset of winter

Heavy snowfall caused traffic chaos, power cuts and other problems in Bavaria at the weekend, as well as a lot of winter fun. At Munich Airport, flight operations partially resumed after a closure on Sunday morning, while there were still considerable restrictions on rail services. The situation on the roads returned to normal. All over Bavaria, people enjoyed the unusually snowy winter weather for the first Sunday in Advent. Walkers, tobogganers and skiers were out and about in the bright sunshine.

After Munich Airport had to suspend air traffic on Saturday, operations resumed at 06:00 on Sunday. According to a spokesman, however, around 560 of the 880 flights planned were still canceled. Passengers were asked to check the status of their flight before traveling. Air traffic also resumed at Memmingen Airport on Sunday.

The suspension of flight operations in Munich on Saturday also affected take-offs and landings at other airports. Frankfurt and Nuremberg airports also accepted aircraft that were no longer able to fly to Munich.

Restrictions in rail traffic

According to a spokeswoman, travelers can expect massive restrictions on rail traffic in southern Germany until Monday. The main station in Munich could no longer be reached on Saturday, and regional trains were also at a standstill. On Sunday, two long-distance routes at Munich Central Station were to be served again in isolated cases, but with fewer trains. A DB spokeswoman asked passengers to find out the status of their connection before starting their journey and to postpone unnecessary journeys until Tuesday or later.

Each individual railroad line should be checked on Sunday to see whether it can be used again. On Saturday, trees that had collapsed under the weight of the snow had blocked the tracks, and some overhead lines were iced over.

Traffic on the roads in southern Bavaria returned to normal on Sunday night. The authorities only reported minor accidents. "A few trees still fell, but there were only accidents with minor damage," said a spokesperson for the Upper Bavaria South Police Headquarters. According to a spokesperson, accidents in Lower Bavaria were also "typical for the time of year". According to the police, the night was similarly quiet on the roads in northern Upper Bavaria and Swabia.

Thousands of households, especially in Upper and Lower Bavaria, were without power after trees fell on power lines on Saturday. Repair work was still continuing on Sunday, according to a Bayernwerk Netz spokesperson in Regensburg.

Zoos closed, trade fair reopened

While Hellabrunn Zoo and Augsburg Zoo remained closed on Sunday, the Munich Trade Fair reopened. The Munich Residenz was also reopened to visitors, but Herrenchiemsee Palace and Linderhof Palace remained closed on Sunday, according to the Bavarian Palace Administration. This also applied to Nymphenburg Palace Park due to the risk of snowfall. Neuschwanstein Castle near Füssen was open to visitors at the weekend.

Operation in ski resorts

Numerous lifts were running in the Bavarian ski resorts on Sunday. After the cable car and cog railroad on the Zugspitze had to be closed on Saturday, at least the cable car was back in operation on Sunday. In the Alpen-Plus areas of Sudelfeld, Spitzingsee and Brauneck, skiers have been enjoying the fresh snow since Saturday. The slopes and cross-country ski trails on the Großer Arber in the Bavarian Forest were also groomed.

Further fresh snow was initially not expected in large parts of Bavaria on Sunday. Only in the eastern low mountain ranges and in the Alps were several centimetres of fresh snow expected. Meteorologists were expecting lows of minus 6 to minus 9 degrees. South of the Danube, temperatures could reach minus 10 to minus 15 degrees in some areas. It is expected to remain cold on Monday and Tuesday, but snow is only expected to fall sporadically.

Minister of the Interior: No all-clear yet

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) emphasized on Sunday that the all-clear could not yet be given, even if the snowfall had subsided in many regions since Saturday evening. "The large amounts of wet snow currently weighing on the trees pose a risk that should not be underestimated," he said. Breaking branches or falling ice, as well as trees giving way under the weight, endangered drivers and pedestrians. The fact that nothing worse happened at the weekend was also thanks to the work of the emergency services, who had been working since Friday evening.

Prime Minister Markus Söder and Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (both CSU) also thanked the emergency services at the weekend.

DWD Bavaria Munich Airport