Status: 02/08/2021 06:48 a.m.
Snow and black ice continue to cause significant traffic obstructions, especially in the south of Lower Saxony. In many schools in the state, face-to-face teaching is canceled. There are further restrictions on rail throughout the north.
On motorways in the districts of Emsland and Osnabrück and in the county of Bentheim in Lower Saxony, there is a driving ban for trucks over 7.5 tonnes until 12 p.m. Clearance services are still in use on many roads in the state and snow drifts are occurring. Heavy snowfall even brought traffic to a standstill on the A7 near Göttingen. The police blocked the road to the south. Some state and district roads are also closed or not passable. For Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg there is also a warning against slippery roads.
You can find out the current situation on the streets around the clock in the NDR traffic service.
Disabilities in rush hour traffic expected
Heavy snowfall also ensures winter road conditions in Osnabrück.
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According to the German Meteorological Service (DWD), there can be another 5 to 15 centimeters of fresh snow spread over about eight hours in the Göttingen region and further north. Although the new snowfall in southern Lower Saxony is not as strong as it was on Sunday, the snow that has fallen so far can hardly be cleared as quickly by then. It also remains stormy, especially on the coast. Weather expert Frank Böttcher said on NDR that the snow will keep the north busy for a while. He expects significant traffic delays on Monday morning. “Anyone who has to go to work and cannot work from home should be prepared for longer travel times.” According to the DWD, the stormy wind remains particularly on the coast. There is still the risk of snow drifts, especially on Rügen and in North Friesland.
Further massive restrictions in rail traffic
The Deutsche Bahn largely stopped local traffic in Lower Saxony and Bremen until at least 10 a.m. today. There is only a regional express service between Cuxhaven and Hamburg. The Lower Saxony railway operator metronome announced early in the morning that some trains could run again between Hanover and Göttingen, between Hanover and Uelzen there were only partial restrictions and delays. Traffic should also roll again between Lüneburg and Hamburg and between Hamburg and Rotenburg-Bremen – in some cases with delays. On Sunday, the company was temporarily only able to maintain traffic on the Hamburg-Lüneburg route. Both enno connections Wolfsburg-Braunschweig-Hildesheim and Wolfsburg-Gifhorn-Hannover as well as the erixx routes According to the operator, no train traffic is possible this morning.
AUDIO: Snow storm and joy in Lower Saxony (4 min)
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There are also massive restrictions in the long-distance traffic of Deutsche Bahn, which, according to Deutsche Bahn, will last until this evening. There are no long-distance trains between Hanover and Berlin or between Hanover and Dresden. From Hamburg the connections to Dortmund / Cologne, Hanover, Frankfurt and Munich as well as to Kiel, Lübeck and Westerland have been canceled. In addition, long-distance traffic between Germany and the Netherlands was paralyzed by the weather. The intercity trains between Hanover and Norddeich-Mole as well as between Münster and Norddeich-Mole still do not run. The connections between Hamburg and Berlin would be maintained, said the railway. But there could be failures.
At train stations in regions badly affected by the onset of winter, Deutsche Bahn provided stay trains for stranded travelers – for example in Hanover. An easing of the situation is not in sight due to further snowfalls.
School dropouts in Lower Saxony – homeschooling takes place
Because of the onset of winter, face-to-face classes at general and vocational schools are now canceled in numerous districts and cities, especially in the south and south-east of Lower Saxony. Homeschooling will remain unaffected by the cancellation of face-to-face classes, communicated the municipalities. The Hanover region as well as the Göttingen, Goslar, Northeim, Hameln-Pyrmont, Helmstedt, Holzminden, Diepholz, Cloppenburg, Vechta, Osnabrück and Bentheim counties reported school dropouts. You can find an overview of the affected regions here.
Snow drifts on highways
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The clearance services on the A7 were already in constant use on Sunday.
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The snow storm had already caused disabilities on Sunday. In parts of Lower Saxony, the clearance services on the roads were hardly able to keep up. Snow drifts made the Salzgitter motorway triangle impassable in places. Traffic to the north was diverted from the A 7 at the Bockenem junction and the autobahn was closed, as the Hildesheim autobahn police announced. Several trucks got stuck, and parking spaces for vans would also become scarce. The clearance services could hardly keep up. The A33 was also closed at Dissen due to snow drifts.
Snow drifts in Schleswig-Holstein too
The icy east wind was also piling up in parts of Fishing and North Frisia in Schleswig-Holstein Drifting snow. The main road between Munkbrarup and Husby had to be closed in both directions. An ambulance got stuck in a snowdrift near Risum-Lindholm.
In Hamburg and MV mainly wind and cold
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Hamburg made itself felt “Tristan” especially with icy wind. While no snow fell in the Hanseatic city, there were at least some snow drifts in the northeast.
Floods expected on the Baltic Sea
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In Strande, violent waves hit the harbor wall on Sunday.
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Meanwhile, the people on the Baltic coast continue to have to prepare for floods. A continuous easterly wind brings masses of water to the coast, as meteorologist Frank Böttcher said. The highest water levels are expected for Monday and Tuesday night and are just under one meter. “That corresponds to the highest warning level that the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency issues.”
In combination with the prevailing frosty temperatures, Böttcher expects ice floes on the Baltic Sea as well as closed ice surfaces on the inland lakes for the next few days in view of the flood. However, he warned against entering it. Due to the insufficient thickness there is a risk to life.
Ferry traffic to the North Sea islands severely restricted
Because of the strong east wind, many ferries to the East Frisian Islands are also canceled. Among other things, the ferries to Juist, Langeoog and Wangerooge are affected.
There are also restrictions on ferry traffic to the North Frisian Islands. Ferry passengers are urgently advised to find out about current cancellations and postponements online on the shipping company website before starting their journey.
Freezing temperatures until the end of the week
The new week continues with regional snowfall. The temperatures remain extremely frosty: In the Göttingen area, for example, minimum temperatures of -14 degrees must be expected on Wednesdays. But also in Neubrandenburg it remains very cold with up to -11 degrees and in Hamburg with -7 degrees. Only towards the end of the week could the values move back into the plus area.
Further information
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