Winter in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein remains an episode

Despite the slightly frosty temperatures and a few snow showers, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein do not yet have to adjust to permanent wintry conditions. The "winter episode" ends on Tuesday night, said meteorologist Michael Bauditz from the German Weather Service.

A touch of white winter appeared on the Baltic Sea on Sunday morning. A thin layer of snow covered the dunes and the beach on the Bay of Lübeck. Many vacationers took advantage of the white beach for a walk or the first snow selfie of the season. Children tried in vain to build snowmen. There was also some snow in the area around Kiel. In Hamburg, a few flakes swirled through the air.

In the night of Monday, the temperature inland could fall again to -5 degrees, said Bauditz. A very thin layer of snow could remain locally, especially near the Baltic Sea coast. Even on Monday it will still be wet and cold during the day. But for the night of Tuesday, the meteorologist expects a sustained softening and rain. In the east of Schleswig-Holstein it could be smooth at first.

The cool temperatures also had an impact on the ongoing work in front of the Elbe Tunnel, which will be closed for 79 hours. Because of the freezing temperatures, the workers had to spread salt at the construction site, as the spokeswoman for the highway company said. The highway should not be an ice surface on Monday morning when traffic is supposed to flow again. But the work was going well.

A severe onset of winter is currently being recorded in a “different Hamburg”. Heavy snowfall paralyzed the west and north of the US state of New York on Friday. Authorities issued a driving ban and Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in a preferential manner on Lake Erie. According to the weather service, 51 centimeters of snow were measured in Hamburg near Buffalo. Up to Sunday there could be up to 1.20 meters of snow regionally.