Record Low Temperatures: -19.7 Degrees Recorded in the Ore Mountains

Parts of Germany experienced another frigid night, with the coldest temperature recorded at -19.7 degrees Celsius in the Ore Mountains, specifically at the Brüderwiese measuring station in the municipality of Deutschneudorf, Saxony. This measurement, taken by the German Weather Service (DWD), was noted in the early morning hours. Just the night before, the lowest temperature was -18.4 degrees recorded at the Brocken in the Upper Harz region of Saxony-Anhalt.

The temperature readings were conducted at a height of two meters above the ground. While the DWD also receives data from automated sensors placed at five centimeters above ground, these readings can be impacted by snow cover, leading meteorologists to rely on the more standardized two-meter measurements. Despite the cold snap, there were areas where temperatures remained above freezing; for instance, Müllheim in the Markgräflerland region south of Freiburg recorded a temperature of 0.9 degrees.

According to forecasts, the upcoming night is expected to bring further severe frost, particularly in eastern regions of Germany, before conditions begin to moderate significantly. The coldest temperature recorded in Germany this year to date was -21.1 degrees, noted on January 11 at the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in the country.

Historically, the lowest temperature ever recorded by the DWD in Germany was -36.3 degrees Celsius. This extreme was measured on February 10, 1956, in Waldsassen, Bavaria, although the measuring station is no longer operational. The lowest temperature recorded at a currently active measuring station remains the -35.6 degrees Celsius documented on February 14, 1920, at the Zugspitze.

The DWD continues to monitor weather conditions closely as temperatures fluctuate, offering insights and forecasts to help residents prepare for the ongoing winter chill.