As of: January 20, 2024, 7:26 a.m
By: Lukas Schierlinger
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What role does the Isar play and what effects does the height difference within the city have?
DWD expert Lothar Bock explains differences in Munich's climate.
Munich – “Munich lies in the transition area between a wetter moss climate in the north and Alpine foothill climates in the south,” explains Lothar Bock, meteorologist in the regional climate office of the German Weather Service (DWD).
Why can it snow in the south while it stays green further north?
The reason is also the difference in altitude within the city, explains Bock in an interview with our editorial team.
Mr. Bock, which part of the city should I move to as a sun worshipper?
Lothar Bock
(smiles): Unfortunately I can’t make a recommendation.
If you look at the climate maps, the distribution for Munich is relatively homogeneous.
So it's a myth that the sun shines more often in the south?
Across the city we get between 1,800 and 1,850 hours of sunshine per year.
There are no major differences between the south and north.
This can be different in individual seasons.
In autumn we often have fog in the moss area.
Then it is cloudier in the north of Munich and the weather in the south is friendlier.
In winter it can be the other way around;
when there is a dust cloud in the Alps, which affects the south of Munich.
100 meter difference in altitude within Munich
At 580 meters, the highest point in Munich is on the extreme southern city limits in the Solln district.
It is located on the edge of the forest in Forstenrieder Park.
The lowest point is near the extreme northern city limits in the Feldmoching district - at 480 meters.
DWD expert on climate differences within Munich: “Easily observed when winter sets in”
What influence does the difference in altitude have on the climate in the city?
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This is very easy to observe now in winter.
Particularly noticeable in snowfall situations when the snowfall line is around 500 meters.
Then it may be that the north of Munich is slightly covered in sugar, but in the south there is a clear blanket of snow.
Just like the massive onset of winter in December 2023.
What general effects are noticeable with regard to the amount of precipitation?
We see an increase from the flatter north to the south, which is higher and closer to the Alps.
This is due to congestion effects that can reach as far as the south of Munich.
And - especially in the warm season - there is a greater tendency to thunderstorm showers with higher amounts of precipitation.
Have the differences mentioned increased in recent years?
It's very difficult to model this.
The city of Munich is constantly growing.
Once again something is being built here and something is being torn down there.
What we can observe relatively well is a pronounced urban climate effect.
Annual precipitation in the urban area of Munich: A significant increase can be seen towards the south.
© German Weather Service
Challenge in the growth of the city of Munich: maintaining important fresh air corridors
Can you explain this in more detail?
In the city center it is warmer in summer and also in winter because there is less vegetation due to the concrete surfaces.
Heat can be retained there better.
The urban climate effect is increasing not only because of climate change, but also because Munich continues to grow.
What role does the Isar play for the climate in Munich?
The Isar cuts through Munich from south to northeast.
The Isar Valley is a guarantee of fresh air.
At night, fresh air flows into Munich from the foothills of the Alps.
This is an important factor that can have a cooling effect in certain weather conditions.
The challenge with the growth of the city of Munich is that such fresh air corridors are left undisturbed.
Which corridors are still important?
Forest areas are basically water reservoirs and are therefore generally cooler.
This ensures that the south of Munich does not overheat too much in summer - for example through the Perlacher Forest.
In central areas it can be much more uncomfortable.
Interview: Lukas Schierlinger
Transparency note:
The interview with DWD expert Lothar Bock was published for the first time on January 17, 2024.
How will the climate develop in the 21st century?
DWD expert Gudrun Mühlbacher dared to give an outlook in an interview with our editorial team.
She says: “Our calculations clearly show that temperatures will continue to rise in the future.”