As of: February 9, 2024, 11:08 a.m
By: Benjamin Stroka
The street carnival began on Weiberfastnacht with constant rain.
But the Jecken in North Rhine-Westphalia can be more optimistic about the weather in the next few days.
Update from February 9th, 11:09 a.m.:
The weather forecasts for the carnival weekend are becoming more and more concrete.
It turns out that the sun probably won't show up, but it will rain significantly less than on Weiberfastnacht.
Saturday is expected to remain dry over long stretches of North Rhine-Westphalia.
And there should only be a few showers on Rose Monday.
The forecast for Cologne in particular gives hope, where hardly any rain is expected.
This is what the weather will be like in North Rhine-Westphalia on the carnival weekend
Friday, February 9th:
Dense clouds, some rain in the morning.
The showers will then move northeast from midday.
Only a few showers later in the day.
Very mild at 11 to 15 degrees.
Saturday, February 10th:
Lots of clouds, but mostly dry.
Only a few isolated rains in the southwest during the day.
Again mild at 11 to 15 degrees.
Sunday, February 11th:
Rain at times with lots of clouds, but also always dry periods.
Some cooling down at 7 to 12 degrees.
There may be some local showers in the evening.
Rose Monday, February 12th:
Still cloudy, isolated showers possible locally.
It should stay mostly dry in Cologne.
Still a mild 8 to 10 degrees.
Source: German Weather Service & Wetter.com
Rain capes and umbrellas: This is what it looked like in many places on Women's Carnival.
But according to the forecasts, the costumes could remain mostly dry, especially at the weekend.
© Oliver Berg
Constant rain on Weiberfastnacht – but new weather forecast gives hope
Cologne – Constant rain, wet costumes and relatively empty party hotspots: The Jecken in North Rhine-Westphalia certainly imagined the start of the street carnival a little differently this year.
Even Zülpicher Straße, where it was still on November 11th.
or the previous year's women's carnival brought chaotic conditions due to overcrowding, it was barely half full.
The rain with an official warning from the German Weather Service (DWD) apparently deterred many revelers in advance.
But the good news for all carnival fans: After the rainy Thursday (February 8th), the weather will be better on the remaining carnival days.
There can still be rain every now and then, but current forecasts also indicate significantly more dry phases - especially on Carnival Saturday.
Some Jecken didn't let the rain stop them from celebrating.
Nevertheless, there was relatively little going on in Cologne on Women's Carnival.
© Oliver Berg/dpa
Rose Monday is expected to be mostly dry
According to current forecasts, there will be no more sunny carnival days this session.
But at least the rain will ease significantly from Friday afternoon.
From Saturday onwards the dry phases will take over.
If you didn't want to celebrate on Weiberfastnacht because of the weather, you can still do so at the weekend.
Then the chances of staying dry in Cologne and Düsseldorf are good.
And: Even on Rose Monday it should stay mostly dry.
That would be good news for the trains in the carnival strongholds.
(bs)