Heavy snowfall disrupted travel in southern Germany and Switzerland, with hundreds of flights delayed or canceled so far.
Munich airport took the main hit. The nation’s second-biggest hub closed at around 10:35 p.m. on Friday night and won’t reopen until Sunday. Some 760 flights were scheduled for Saturday.
In Switzerland, 22 departures and 21 arrivals have been canceled so far at Zurich Airport because of continuing snowfall. Additionally, de-icing procedures added some 20 to 40 minutes to take-offs, delaying departures.
With the German Meteorological Office warning of “severe weather” in the state of Bavaria, Munich rail routes to cities including Salzburg and Innsbruck in Austria, Zurich, and Nuremberg and Stuttgart in Germany were also affected.
“We assume that the restrictions will continue throughout Dec. 2,” Deutsche Bahn said in a statement. “We recommend postponing travel to and from Munich.”
The snow also halted a scheduled football match on Saturday between FC Bayern Munich and 1. FC Union Berlin in Germany’s top division.
“The stadium owner has closed the Allianz Arena due to the heavy and persistent snowfall and the associated safety risks,” said Germany’s football association DFL. “A new date will be announced shortly.”
Central Europe isn’t alone in facing transport chaos due to snow. Travel warnings are multiplying across the UK this weekend, with rail strikes and planned works exacerbating the situation.
