Can we hope for a white Christmas in 2020?
The polar vortex has a significant influence on winter weather in Germany.
Germany weather *: December is wet and cold.
Can we hope for a wintry Christmas in the Corona * year 2020?
The decisive factor is the polar vortex.
This
news ticker
is updated regularly.
Munich - The weather in Germany in
December
is wet and cold.
The first snowflakes could already be seen in many places.
In the Alps, however, there was real weather chaos.
Places in Tyrol and Italy have sunk under a thick blanket of snow.
But what are the chances of a wintry Christmas with snow * in Germany?
A
polar vortex split
could seemingly change everything.
Weather in Germany: Winter turnaround thanks to polar vortex?
Meteorologist Paul Heger from
wetter.com described
the polar vortex
as the “tip of the cold scales”
.
This is a
vortex
at a height of around 30 kilometers that has only existed for around half a year.
The temperatures at high altitude are extremely cold - “well below minus 70 degrees”.
"The eddy forms over the Arctic in autumn and slowly dissolves again in spring." A strong wind band ensures that the cold is held together at high altitudes, explained Heger.
“With a
stable polar vortex
, we usually also have a strong jet stream that lets the lows move from west to east.
In this weather situation we have air from the Atlantic, which in Germany is far too mild for a permanent
winter
situation
.
“Heger cited the winter of 2019/20 as an example.
However, the polar vortex is "always something in vibration".
In this way, the vortex can be shaped into an oval.
Germany weather: white Christmas by phenomenon?
“In extreme cases, the eddy splits completely in different layers of altitude,” the meteorologist explained.
In this case one speaks of a
polar vortex split
.
This ensures strong highs, blocking weather conditions and brings the jet stream to "roll".
The effects are, for example, large amounts of rain.
It is not uncommon for the high to form in such a way that Germany is confronted with "very cold east to north-east winds *".
Also,
permafrost and snow
are possible.
Does that also
apply
to
winter 2020
?
As meteorologist Jan Schenk from
The Weatherchannel
explained, for example, the polar vortex is "disturbed" and is expected to split into a
polar vortex
this year
.
The chances of cold winter weather possibly even with snow at Christmas increase with it.
But for the time being it will remain changeable in Germany.
For Sunday (December 13th) the
German Weather Service (DWD
) forecasts
rain or drizzle, in the Alps snow.
The maximum values are between five and nine degrees.
The 100-year calendar also made a prognosis for a white Christmas.
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network (mbr)