Frigid air, snow hit parts of Europe
Tristan, the low-pressure area over Central Europe, and Gisela, the high-pressure area over Scandinavia, have a firm grip on the weather. After icy rain, snow and wind, some Europeans face freezing temperatures.
Winter arrives in February
As early as December, experts had an inkling about winter weather conditions this year. The polar vortex low-pressure area in the far north became unstable, allowing Arctic air masses to move to Europe. The result: snow, freezing rain and above all, plummeting temperatures in Germany. The sub-zero conditions could hold for the next two weeks.
Don't get stuck behind a truck
They restock the supermarket shelves, but when the low-pressure area named "Tristan" moves across the country, you don't want to be driving behind a truck. In snow and slush, the rigs soon reach their limits. Many people spent the night in their cars in the freezing cold, stranded on highway A2 near Bielefeld. Traffic was backed up for 37 kilometers (23 miles).
Snow for beginners
"Tristan" has dumped large amounts of snow on regions that are not very familiar with these types of weather conditions, including up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) of new snow in the lowlands of the eastern German state of Saxony. It’s a busy time for snow plows, as here in the city of Leipzig (photo).
At a standstill
These windmills in Kinderdijk, near Rotterdam, have not been working for some time, but now, public life in the Netherlands is also partly grinding to a halt. Elementary schools were closed in many towns at the beginning of the week, only a few trains are running, and police have urged people not to use their cars. Meteorologists agree that, at least for a while, the cold has come to stay.
Big butt over Belgium
As a rule, the weather in Belgium comes in from the west, but "Tristan" snuck in from the east, bringing snow and cold to the Belgian capital, Brussels. The situation is not as chaotic as expected, but the German meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann's assessment applies to Belgium, too: "A block of cold air has settled with a big butt and is barely budging."
Even salt doesn't help
The onset of winter does not come as a surprise to people in Poland. In Warsaw, people are quite familiar with frigid low-pressure systems from the east. In parts of the country, the snow has turned to rain, making the streets as slippery as glass. The lowest temperatures are currently being recorded in Lower Silesia and Opole, where it can be so cold that even salt won't de-ice the roads.
Ideal for winter sports, if only ...
The clash of arctic and warmer air masses brought freezing rain and snow to the Czech Republic, too. With temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, the capital, Prague, remains covered in a blanket of snow. Great weather for winter sports — but the Czech ski resorts are closed due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Sahara sand colors the Alps
Unlike in the Czech Republic, the lifts are busy in many Swiss winter sports resorts. The skiers must wear face masks. While the country wasn't hit by snow masses like in Germany, winter sports fans marveled at snow colored by Sahara sands blown in from Africa by strong winds.
The south basks while the north freezes
While snow and ice dominate central Europe, spring is on its way in the south: A balmy 20 degrees Celsius lured people outdoors in Italy over the weekend. Snow is not in sight on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica (photo), either.