New Year's Eve drama: Storm, snow and slippery conditions bring chaos to the party!

New Year's Eve drama: Storm, snow and slippery conditions bring chaos to the party!

What a new year we have in store! According to NDR, December 31, 2025 will upset all other weather forecasts. Instead of a sparkling, clear New Year's Eve, we can expect an uncomfortable weather chaos with rain, sleet and possibly even thunderstorms. The temperatures will be around a maximum of 5 degrees; in southern Lower Saxony they could only just exceed the zero degree limit. While traveling in northern Germany, the prospects changed quickly. We are expecting strong squalls on the North Sea and road conditions in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are also forecast to be very slippery on Tuesday.

The forecasts make it clear: caution is advised this evening. There have already been several serious incidents involving trucks due to the slippery conditions, particularly on Autobahn 20. The German Weather Service (DWD)'s warnings of “striking weather” have been downgraded, but the forecasts remain anything but reassuring. At this point it's not just about the fun of the fireworks, but also about the safety of those celebrating.

Winter weather in all its facets

As Merkur reports, New Year's Eve in Germany is divided into two parts. While there could be longer sunny stretches from the Black Forest to the Allgäu, there are dense clouds in many other parts of the country. The wind will pick up, especially in the evening, and the risk of storms and winter thunderstorms increases. Precipitation is particularly expected in northwest Germany, and snow is also on the way above 400 to 500 meters.

The temperatures are lower than usual and range between 3 and 8 degrees; in the south and higher altitudes it can even be frosty. New Year's Eve itself brings a mix of rain and snow showers, with low temperatures ranging between +4 and -1 degrees in the north. On the coasts, the weather could also bring heavy showers with sleet and stormy winds, as the current forecast suggests.

A look at the New Year's Day

The unstable weather will also cause some surprises on New Year's Day. Rain will be particularly common in northern and central Germany, and snowfall can be expected, especially in low mountain ranges. The slippery conditions will be particularly challenging for drivers and pedestrians both tonight and on New Year's Day. The picture is only made more complicated by the possibility of winter thunderstorms.

The current weather models suggest that cold polar air from the north could be the air mass that determines the weather. This means that journeys and public transport are directly affected. There is no quick end to the wintry conditions in sight and the possibility of snowfall is certainly present. It remains to be seen how the weather will develop until the turn of the year. So it could be both a loud and a wet New Year.

For those looking to start the New Year on a celebratory note, it's wise to keep an eye on weather conditions and prepare for potentially challenging road conditions and visibility obstructions caused by wind or snow.

Further information about the weather conditions can be found in the reports from NDR, Mercury and fr.de.