Traffic chaos and snow fun: Onset of winter in Bavaria

weather - Traffic chaos and snow fun: Onset of winter in Bavaria

Heavy snowfall caused traffic chaos, power outages and other problems in Bavaria at the weekend, but also a lot of winter fun. At Munich Airport, flight operations partially resumed on Sunday morning following a closure, 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 non-essential 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, the number of accidents in Lower Bavaria was 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.

School closures on Monday in two districts

For the public schools in the district of Mühldorf am Inn, the local state education authority ordered distance learning on Monday. The decision was made to protect pupils in view of the wintry road conditions, it said.

In the district of Starnberg, classes for grades 1 to 6 at primary and secondary schools have been canceled completely, a spokesperson for the district office said on Sunday. However, emergency care will be provided at the schools. Secondary schools such as Realschulen and Gymnasien can decide individually whether to offer distance learning or cancel classes. There is no provision for supervision at the schools.

In Augsburg, 20 schools are temporarily closed in whole or in part, as the city administration announced. The reason for this is the masses of snow on the roofs of the buildings. Once the snow has melted, the buildings will have to be checked for structural stability. Parents are asked to contact their children's schools to find out about the current situation.

Zoos closed, trade fair reopened

While Hellabrunn Zoo and Augsburg Zoo remained closed on Sunday, the Munich Trade Fair and the Tollwood Winter Festival reopened, according to spokespeople. The Munich Residenz was also reopened to visitors, while 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.

There was a considerable risk of avalanches in the Bavarian Alps. Further fresh snow was not initially expected for the beginning of the week. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), it is expected to remain cold on Monday and Tuesday. Slippery conditions are to be expected, especially at night.

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 load 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 Info Ministry of Culture on school closures - updated regularly