Saxony-Anhalt: Mild and wet winter in Saxony-Anhalt

Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - The winter in Saxony-Anhalt was mild, the average temperature was 2.

Saxony-Anhalt: Mild and wet winter in Saxony-Anhalt

Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - The winter in Saxony-Anhalt was mild, the average temperature was 2.9 degrees Celsius. Saxony-Anhalt's winter temperature is exactly within the nationwide average of 2.9 degrees Celsius, as the German Weather Service (DWD) announced in its winter report on Monday. The meteorological winter is considered for the evaluation and thus all days of the months December, January and February.

According to DWD press spokesman Uwe Kirsche, the winter this year was far too warm: "Germany experienced the twelfth winter that was too warm in a row. Climate change is not letting up." It is worrying that there were hardly any lowland winters last winter. In addition, there were record temperatures of up to 20.8 degrees in Upper Bavaria on New Year's Eve. According to the DWD, the pollen load from hazel and alder increased early due to the rising temperatures.

Despite the temperatures, snow fell in the Harz mountains on at least 50 days in the past three months. However, this was not the case everywhere in Germany: "Winter fans only got their money's worth in the higher mountains. Overall, the past three months were slightly too dry," explained Kirsche.

According to the German Weather Service, the mild air masses in Saxony-Anhalt attracted larger amounts of precipitation than in other parts of Germany. Almost 500 liters per square meter fell in the Harz Mountains, on the plain it rained an above-average 148 liters per square meter. Overall, the precipitation balance for Germany is 170 liters per square meter. This means that the amount of precipitation has decreased by around 6 to 10 percent compared to the periods 1961 to 1990 with 181 liters per square meter and 1991 to 2020 with 190 liters per square meter.

In Saxony-Anhalt, the sun has shone for 150 hours in the past three months.