February thaw expected across Germany following frigid January

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather meteorologist

January 31,2017, 9:23:08AM,EST

 

 

An unrelenting cold air mass that settled over Germany during January will be replaced with waves of milder air throughout the month of February.
While most of Germany has experienced prolonged periods of below-normal temperatures, Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg have endured the harshest conditions.
Temperatures have averaged 3-6 degrees Celsius (5-10 degrees Fahrenheit) below normal across the region in January. Along with the frigid air, periods of freezing fog and poor air quality affected many locations.

Munich has had five days with an average temperature of 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) or more below normal with a minimum temperature of minus 22 C (minus 7 F) reported on two separate days in early January.
The powerful area of high pressure that has been responsible for this cold weather pattern will finally shift eastward, allowing milder air to return throughout Germany this week.
This shift to milder weather is expected to prevail throughout most of February as cold air retreats into Russia and storms battering western Europe allow milder air from the Mediterranean to surge northward across Germany.
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High temperatures will routinely average 6-9 C (42-48 F) throughout the country with occasional days of temperatures reaching or surpassing 10 C (50 F).
The highest frequency of days with temperatures at or above 10 C (50 F) will be in the southwest and west, including Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Cologne.

Despite frequent storms battering western Europe, precipitation is expected to be near to slightly below normal across the country in February, with the most widespread precipitation expected in the west and north.
This change to milder air will also limit the threat for accumulating snowfall in the lower elevations compared to January which saw numerous snowfall events.
Even though most of the storms will bring only minor impacts to Germany during February, there will be an increased risk for a significant wind storm during the second half of the month.