In a severe winter storm that brought heavy snowfall to southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, travel was disrupted across the region. Munich’s airport grounded all flights and later announced that they would be canceled until 6 a.m. Sunday, while other airports in the area also faced delays and cancellations due to the weather. In addition, trains to and from Munich’s central station were halted.
As a result of the snowstorm, no buses or trams were operating in Munich, and some subway and regional train lines were affected as well. Downed trees left thousands without power in Bavaria, and a Bundesliga soccer match in Munich was also canceled. In Lower Bavaria, police responded to 350 snow and ice-related incidents between Friday night and early Saturday, resulting in minor to moderate injuries.
In Austria and Switzerland, officials warned about the danger of avalanches due to the new snowfall. In western Austria, the province of Tyrol raised its avalanche warnings to the second-highest level after receiving up to 20 inches of snow. The Austrian railway company OeBB reported closures across the country as a result of the storm.
The Czech Republic also faced significant disruptions, with blocked highways, delays, and cancellations to trains and public transport, and over 15,000 households without power. A major highway connecting Prague and Brno was closed for hours after an accident, and traffic jams affected other parts of the country as well as cross-border trains from Austria and Germany. High-speed and regional trains were forced to stop, and some roads remained closed.