Germany slides into winter

After the first snowfall of the winter season, Berlin cyclists ride carefully over a thin layer of snow in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Snowfall was reported throughout the country, but in many areas, the white splendor had already melted by the end of the day.

With black ice and snow, the onset of winter is putting drivers on Germany's roads in danger. Police have reported numerous accidents across large parts of the country. The German Weather Service (DWD) has warned of further snowfall and freezing rain on the roads.

Like fine powder, fresh snow covers this field in Brandenburg, the state surrounding Berlin. Seen from a bird's-eye view, plow and tractor tracks offer a picturesque scene with their symmetrical pattern. On the border with Poland, freezing temperatures and more fresh snow are expected.

Hamburg in northern Germany was covered in a thick layer of snow overnight. But according to the weather forecast, temperatures in Germany's north will soon rise again up to 7 degrees Celsius (45 Fahrenheit), turning snowfall into rain. The maritime weather service has issued a strong wind warning for the North Sea coast.

As is so often the case, the transportation sector has been hardest hit. Here at Hamburg Airport, air traffic continued despite heavy snowfall, but the Cologne/Bonn Airport in western Germany suspended flights for about an hour due to adverse weather conditions. The southern city of Würzburg temporarily suspended bus services overnight.

Fresh snow and bright sunshine have attracted numerous winter sports enthusiasts to the Fichtelberg in the Ore Mountains, a mountain range on Germany's border with the Czech Republic. Families enjoyed the low sun in the winter landscape with walks and sledding on a ski slope. The first cross-country ski trails have also been opened, a sign that the new ski season is just around the corner.

The winter landscape of the Bavarian Alps already offers a majestic view, with a police spokesperson reporting the "first real snowy night" of the season. Here in southern Germany, even more snow is expected in the coming days. Drivers in Bavaria are urged to be cautious. Authorities have issued an official severe weather warning due to black ice.

Fresh snow and freezing temperatures are the ideal environment for a snowman. However, the lifespan of this little snowman on a sidewalk is limited in Leipzig, a city in eastern Germany. While winter weather is expected to continue at higher altitudes, temperatures in this area climbed back above freezing by a few degrees by Monday afternoon.