Cold air from the Arctic has moved south, causing temperatures to drop significantly. In countries like Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, temperatures have fallen by up to 10°C. Many areas are seeing their first frosty nights, with temperatures dropping to nearly freezing levels, especially in the countryside and higher elevations. The situation becomes evident when looking at our 500hPA Height map, clearly showing the cold snap from the polar region and extending as far as the Alps.
As conditions persist, moist polar air is coming from the north-west/north and accumulates on the northern edge of the Alps, causing the snow line to drop to up to 1'100 metres and thus providing fresh snow in the Alps.
While northern Europe is feeling the cold and high altitudes are receiving snow, eastern and southern parts of Europe are getting hit with heavy rain. Countries like Poland, Austria und Czech Republic are especially in the center of strong showers, potentially leading to some flooding, with up to 50 mm of rain falling in a single day.
Throughout eastern Europe, weather warnings have been issued, as seen in our Weather Warning map.
The cold snap is expected to continue throughout the week, with more frosty mornings and colder days across much of Europe. Starting on Sunday, temperatures will slowly rise again, at least in the lower altitudes, while precipitation continues throughout many parts of Europe.
Keep an eye on weather updates as conditions change.