The quiet one Weather of the past few days is over. From Friday morning, a strong cold front with rain and snow will move across Germany. It gets wintry, especially at altitudes above 500 meters: in the low mountain ranges and Alps, snow amounts of up to 30 centimeters are possible. But the white splendor doesn’t last long as the temperatures are already too high for a sustained onset of winter.

However, sleet is to be expected at lower altitudes, while a thin blanket of snow may form in the mountains. The snowfall could continue until Sunday morning, especially in the Allgäu and in the high areas of the Alps.

Gusts and rain dominate the weekend

On Friday the cold front will bring stormy weather in the north and west of Germany. Gusts of up to 100 km/h are possible. On Saturday night, the rain will turn into wet snow at higher altitudes, but this will quickly melt again.

Snowfall could occur again on Monday, especially in the Ore Mountains. But soon the weather situation changes fundamentally.

Summer air expected from Spain

The temperatures will rise again from Monday. Warm air masses from Spain then flow into Germany. By the middle of next week, temperatures could climb to 20 degrees – a clear contrast to the cool weekend.

However, one uncertainty factor remains: If a drop of cold air were to form, it could block the supply of warm air in summer. In this case the temperatures would be closer to 10 degrees.

Positive effects on air quality and soils

Despite the changeable weather conditions, there is also good news: the stormy conditions over the weekend are improving the currently poor air quality in Germany. In addition, the dry soils benefit from the forecast rain. The weather not only provides cooling, but also provides much-needed relaxation for nature.