Munich at a standstill: snow and ice paralyze Bavaria

Weather - Munich at a standstill: snow and ice paralyze Bavaria

No flights, a canceled Bundesliga match, traffic jams and canceled trains: snow and ice caused major disruptions in Bavaria on Saturday. At Munich Airport, flight operations were temporarily suspended, as a spokesperson announced in the morning. The Bundesliga home match between FC Bayern Munich and 1. FC Union Berlin in the afternoon was canceled. Numerous railroad lines around the state capital of Munich had to be closed, and passengers in Ulm and Munich spent the night on trains. The heavy snowfall led to long traffic jams on the highways. People in other federal states also felt the consequences.

Disruptions at the airports

According to a spokesperson for Munich Airport, flight operations were suspended until 12.00 noon. The winter service is working to ensure safe operations again. So far, around 320 of the 760 flights scheduled for today have been canceled. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight before traveling to the airport.

The snow-related suspension of flight operations in Munich has also caused delays at Frankfurt Airport. Around 20 planes that should have landed in Munich were diverted to Frankfurt, said a spokesperson for airport operator Fraport on Saturday morning.

There are also some disruptions in other European countries. The airport in the Scottish city of Glasgow ceased operations on Saturday due to heavy snowfall.

Bayern vs. Union Berlin match canceled

Due to the weather chaos, the Bundesliga home match between German soccer champions FC Bayern Munich and 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon (3.30 pm) cannot take place. This was announced by the Bundesliga club from Berlin and Munich's public transport company. Due to safety risks for all involved, it was decided not to go ahead with the match.

Due to the heated pitch in the Allianz Arena, the main concern was not the playability of the pitch, but the safety and, above all, the arrival of spectators, some of whom were coming to Munich from further afield.

Long-distance services in the south canceled - overnight trains

According to information from Deutsche Bahn, long-distance services from the Bavarian capital to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Lindau have been canceled. The railroad is assuming that the restrictions will continue throughout Saturday. "We recommend postponing travel to and from Munich," said the spokeswoman.

As reported by a dpa reporter, 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.

Subway trains, buses and streetcars initially stopped running in the Bavarian capital on Saturday. In Augsburg, local public transport was also suspended. There were numerous accidents on the roads in southern Bavaria - according to the police, most of them resulted in property damage.

Kilometre-long traffic jams on Bavaria's freeways

The heavy snowfall caused long traffic jams on the highways in Bavaria. On the A8 towards Salzburg, a traffic jam near Munich already stretched for 30 kilometers, said an ADAC spokeswoman on Saturday morning. There are currently 96 traffic jams more than ten kilometers long across Germany - all of them in Bavaria. The A6 and A9 are also heavily affected.

The automobile club recommends temporarily avoiding unnecessary journeys and, if you do, then only drive with winter equipment, said the spokeswoman.

Rescue service in continuous operation - car driver dies

The police of Upper Bavaria South called on the population to stay at home. The police, rescue services, fire department and snow clearing services were in constant operation. Many smaller roads outside of towns were heavily snow-covered or blocked by fallen trees.

In Baden-Württemberg, a 54-year-old driver died in an accident on a snow-covered road. According to the police on Saturday, the man skidded and after a 180-degree turn in Emmingen-Liptingen ended up in the oncoming lane. There he collided with a van on Friday evening.

Up to 40 centimetres of fresh snow in the Allgäu

Although it was also frosty cold in most of the other federal states, no accidents were reported for the time being. Hamburg reported five centimeters of fresh snow. The snow clearing vehicles are in operation, it was reported.

According to the German Weather Service, the highest amount of fresh snow is expected in the Allgäu with 30 to 40 centimeters by Saturday afternoon. In Saxony, snowfall of ten centimetres is possible. In addition, frequent snow showers are expected on the North and Baltic Sea coasts and in the neighboring inland areas, which will spread to the northern low mountain ranges during the course of the day. Light permafrost is expected during the day. Only along the Rhine and in the Emsland region as well as directly by the sea will it remain temporarily frost-free in some places.

Severe frost with lows of between minus 10 and minus 15 degrees is expected on Sunday night, especially in Schleswig-Holstein and in the south-western mountains.

DB operating situation

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Despite the weather disruptions in Munich, FC Union Berlin managed to travel to Germany for their Bundesliga match against FC Bayern Munich.
The delayed flights at Munich Airport due to snow and ice caused inconvenience for fans planning to travel to Glasgow for the football match between Celtic and Rangers.
The police in Frankfurt, Germany, were dealing with increased traffic due to the diversions from Munich Airport, which was affected by the weather conditions.
Several accidents on the roads in Frankfurt were reported, adding to the already chaotic traffic situation caused by the diversions from Munich.
Passengers who were stranded in Munich due to the canceled flights were offered alternative connections from Frankfurt Airport, operated by Fraport.
The Union Berlin fans who managed to travel to Munich were disappointed with the cancellation of the Bundesliga match, as they had planned their trip around the venue.
In Ulm, passengers were rescued from the snow-stricken trains and offered transportation to their destinations by FC Bayern Munich, in an attempt to alleviate their trouble caused by the weather.
The railway operator in Bavaria announced that train services between Munich and Stuttgart would be resumed after the severe snow conditions improve, due to the high number of canceled trains.
In Salzburg, the FC Bayern Munich supporters who had traveled for the cancelled match were left disappointed, as they planned their journey around the match schedule.
The passengers traveling from Munich to Salzburg, who were affected by the train cancellations, were offered alternative transportation options, provided by the railroad company, to reach their destinations in Bavaria.

Source: www.stern.de