There’s a good reason for this extreme warning! 🚨 You can find all the important information in the first comment below 👇👇

Traffic chaos on roads and railways

Image: IMAGO / Jochen Tack

Image: IMAGO / Jochen Tack
The A1 and A2 motorways were closed several times at dawn because trucks got stuck on icy inclines. A pile-up involving over 30 vehicles occurred on the A44 near Dortmund; emergency responders described the ice as « slippery as soap. »

Deutsche Bahn is also taking drastic measures: long-distance trains between Cologne, Hanover, and Berlin are canceled until Saturday, and regional trains are only running on a limited schedule. Travelers are advised to plan for overnight stays – hotels in many cities were already fully booked by midday.

School closures and emergency home office solutions

Image: IMAGO / Bihlmayerfotografie

Image: IMAGO / Bihlmayerfotografie

In Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and parts of Schleswig-Holstein, districts have declared a « snow emergency plan »: in-person classes are canceled, and distance learning is being improvised. In Hanover alone, 173 schools remain closed, and daycare centers are only offering emergency childcare.

Companies are shifting operations to home offices – those who can are leaving company cars parked. Courier services are warning of delays, and supermarkets are ordering extra deliveries to prevent empty shelves.

Continue reading…