Up to 50 degrees difference in temperature - extreme weather possible in January

Created: 12/18/2021, 1:28 PM

From: Sarah Neumeyer

In January the weather can vary from year to year, with extreme temperature differences of up to 50 degrees possible.

Kassel - While shortly before Christmas it is still unclear whether there will be snow in Germany in time for the festival, some meteorologists are already daring a weather forecast * for the year 2022.

In January and February it traditionally gets cold again, because that's when the middle of winter takes place in Europe.

Record values ​​are often at minus 20 degrees.

Even minus 30 degrees are possible in January, reports wetter.de.

Extreme record temperatures are possible in January.

There can be up to 50 degrees between these.

© dpa

Extreme January weather: temperature differences of up to 50 degrees possible

But it doesn't always get icy in January.

The harbingers of spring are already causing unusually high temperatures.

"Even daily highs of almost 20 degrees plus can be found in the weather history of January," says wetter.de.

If you look at the highest and lowest values, the result is an unbelievable temperature range of 50 degrees.

But not only extreme temperatures are possible.

Hurricanes, storms and other weather disasters also occur again and again in January.

In 2018, hurricane Friederike hit Germany, and in 2017, hurricane Axel caused flooding on the Baltic coast.

The first weather forecasts are already available for the coming year.

According to the American weather model Noaa, January 2022 will deviate slightly from the long-term climate mean.

In the north of Germany it will be 0.5 degrees warmer than the long-term average, in the south the temperatures will be largely normal, according to graduate meteorologist Dominik Jung.

In February, the Noaa weather model expects a large upward deviation.

In some cases, it could be 2 to 3 degrees too warm, especially in the east of Germany.

"That would be a very large upward deviation," says Jung.

Last February, a new weather record * was recorded in Göttingen, Lower Saxony - within just one week there was a 40-degree temperature difference here.

Weather in January 2022: According to meteorologists, it could be freezing

However, according to the European model ECMWF, the weather in January could be significantly different.

“We see a big surprise,” said Jung.

Accordingly, it could be freezing in Germany in January.

About 0.5 to in places 1.5 degrees too cold compared to the long-term climate mean.

According to Jung, January 2022 could therefore have a winter surprise in store.

From the fourth Advent the weather could change in Germany.

Because from then on, some of the predictions will see that the high pressure area will tend to shift towards the North Atlantic, Iceland and Greenland, says RTL meteorologist Björn Alexander.

If the polar vortex is also weakened, this could lead to the onset of winter.

Permafrost and -10 degrees: onset of winter possible in January 2022

“Should it really happen, then we should slip into the permafrost area as early as the turn of the year.

At night it would be crisp to ice cold.

If there is also snow, then severe frost, i.e. below -10 degrees, would also be widespread, ”Alexander told wetter.de.

For February, the weather forecasts of the European model will then align with the American weather model.

According to the calculations of the European weather model, February 2022 should be too warm.

(sne)