Storm Elli Continues to Paralyze Travel and Cause Accidents Across Germany

Storm 'Elli' has unleashed a wave of severe winter weather across Germany, causing widespread transportation disruptions, multiple accidents, and serious safety concerns. In Bavaria, slippery roads led to roughly 40 traffic accidents, including a tragic head-on collision in Dingolfing-Landau that claimed two lives. Authorities warn residents to avoid frozen lakes and ponds due to unstable ice conditions, with Ingolstadt explicitly cautioning against entering natural ice that is not monitored for safe thickness. Schools across eastern Bavaria have suspended in-person classes amid ongoing harsh conditions, and train travel has been heavily impacted with delays and temporary stoppages on routes such as Köfering to Obertraubling. Despite Munich Airport maintaining operations, cancellations affected flights to Hamburg and Frankfurt due to turbulence in those regions. North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) also experienced significant hardships caused by Elli, with incidents including a bus crashing into a tree in Wilnsdorf-Niederdielfen—though without injuries—and traffic jams caused by trucks stuck on icy slopes along the A45 highway. The Deutsche Bahn responded by canceling numerous regional and long-distance trains, urging travelers to avoid journeys to Northern Germany where heavy snow and ice are forecast to persist. With another cold front expected to bring further snow especially in valley regions, authorities continue to emphasize caution on roads and waterways. The German Weather Service’s warnings underline the ongoing risk posed by winter’s wrath even as storm Elli itself recedes.