The second week of January in Germany is being marked by extreme winter weather, hitting road transport and logistics particularly hard. Emergency services warn that the combination of snow, wind and low temperatures could worsen conditions again in the coming hours.
Weather warnings and risk of transport disruption
The German Meteorological Service reports a high risk of black ice across large parts of the country. In many regions, Level 2 warnings are in force, while Level 3 warnings for dangerous weather phenomena have been issued in the northern federal states as well as parts of Bavaria, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
Snowstorm Elli is bringing mixed conditions. In the south-west of the country, milder temperatures and rainfall are being recorded, while frost and heavy snowfall dominate in the north and east, often accompanied by drifting snow. According to forecasts, blizzards and wind-blown snow pose the greatest threat to road transport.
Trucks block motorways: worst affected areas are Hesse and Thuringia
Although the night from Thursday to Friday was relatively calm, a serious disruption occurred on key motorways on Friday morning. Police and traffic management centres reported numerous incidents involving trucks becoming stuck in snow or jack-knifing across carriageways.
The most serious situation was reported in Hesse, where motorways A4, A5 and A7 were blocked in both directions. On one section of the A4, four truck-and-trailer combinations left the carriageway and became stuck in snowdrifts. On the A7, a vehicle overturned on the hard shoulder, while on the A5 a truck slid off the road. Drivers were urged to leave the motorways and head to designated parking areas.
Conditions were similarly difficult in Thuringia. On the A4, A9 and A45 motorways, numerous collisions were reported, with traffic police dealing with multiple incidents simultaneously. On one federal road, a truck left the carriageway and blocked the route for several hours.
Up-to-date information on road conditions and passability is available on the website of the German automobile club, ADAC.
Hamburg and the port: Köhlbrandbrücke closed, port operations slowed
In Hamburg, the Köhlbrandbrücke has been closed to traffic due to snow and slippery conditions, effectively bringing truck traffic in the port area to a standstill. Police are urging drivers to avoid the area.
The situation at the Port of Hamburg is serious. Snow and ice on containers have led to restrictions at terminals, with the number of available time slots significantly reduced. This has made it more difficult to receive import containers and dispatch exports on schedule. As a result, some vessels are no longer calling at Hamburg, with transhipment operations shifted to nearby ports, causing further delays.
Storm Elli hits industry: VW halts production in Emden
Extreme weather conditions are also affecting industry. Volkswagen has halted production at its Emden plant, cancelling both shifts. Electric models ID.4 and ID.7 are produced at the site, and the decision was taken due to hazardous conditions for employees and disruptions to supply chains.
According to a Volkswagen spokesperson, production at other plants, including Wolfsburg, is continuing as normal, while sites such as Osnabrück and Zwickau are already in a scheduled holiday shutdown. The shutdown in Emden had originally been planned for the end of January but was brought forward due to forecast snowfall and blizzard conditions.
More days of frost and snow ahead
According to forecasts, Storm Elli will move towards the Czech Republic over the weekend and gradually weaken. However, for Germany this will mean a return to freezing conditions and another phase of snowfall, particularly in the south-east of the country. Authorities are urging drivers, especially heavy goods vehicle operators, to adjust their speed to conditions and comply with Germany’s situational winter tyre requirement.
For the transport industry, this points to further days of uncertainty, delays and the risk of downtime. For hauliers, it means continuously monitoring weather forecasts and road conditions. Snowstorm Elli has once again demonstrated how quickly extreme winter weather can bring one of Europe’s most important transport networks to a standstill.
