Weather in Germany: polar vortex collapsed – violent winter turnaround threatens

Once again, snow and icy cold are threatening to determine the weather in Germany.  The  reason? A weather phenomenon called polar vortex.

Offenbach – Still it is Winter in Germany not over. After there was already a closed snow cover, especially in regions at higher elevations, and the temperatures had fallen into the lower single-digit range in many regions after an initially quite mild December, there is great hope that the Weather goes on like this. Shows the winter in February 2021 so again what he can do? First Forecasts provide information about whether it will continue to be icy or whether a completely different weather pattern is more likely.

Weather in Germany:  The  forecast for February – is winter coming back?

According to the meteorological calendar, winter is in Germany until the end February.

 The  days are getting a few minutes longer again, but there is not much more sunlight – it remains frosty. In all likelihood, however, it will not be as cold as it was in January. With an average temperature of 1.5 degrees that is February the second coldest month of the year after January (temperature mean: 1991-2020). It could be with the wintry Weather so go on.

If you look at the past year, you can quickly see that the February can also be mild and wet. According to the German Weather Service (DWD) based in Offenbach, February 2020 was the “second warmest February since measurements began to be carried out across the board in 1881”. Also the second wettest since recording began. This was due to a long series of strong low pressure areas that brought very mild sea air to Germany. It will be Weather in February 2021 look similar?

Weather in winter: snow and ice thanks to polar vortices in February?

 The  beginning of January is Polarwirbel, a large high altitude low over the Arctic, broken. According to “weather.com”, this so-called polar vortex split can be icy Weather in February or March and bring about a violent onset of winter. It is not yet certain that it will hit Europe and Germany “but the risk of a late and severe onset of winter is very high,” said a report on the portal.

However, first long-term forecasts by leading weather services say otherwise for that Weather in February 2021 ahead.

 The y do not give good prospects for a really wintry month.

 The  American weather service NOAA predicts temperatures that are too mild. “This month could be significantly too warm,” explains meteorologist Dominik Jung from the “Q.met” weather service to the “wetter.net” weather portal.

Winter weather in Germany: red weather maps – that’s what they mean

In Central and Eastern Europe the February Up to 3 degrees warmer than the long-term climate mean.

 The  American weather service uses the climate mean from 1999 to 2010 in its calculations. So it is a similar one Trend as in the winter month of December, which was already clearly too mild.

 The re was even talk of a “shock prognosis” for winter friends. According to DWD was December around 2.3 degrees warmer than the long-term climate mean.

Both Forecasts for January through March of the German weather service looks similar. “Easily too warm than too cold,” summarizes meteorologist Jung. Large cold air masses, which have already been mentioned, are therefore currently not to be expected. This is also followed by the forecast of the European weather model, according to which im February no cold is in sight. “

 The  big whip of the cold that was announced here and there for February cannot be seen in the Europeans either,” says Jung. (svw)

List of rubric lists: © Marcel Kusch / dpa