April 28, 2017 – Snowfall
End of April: It is shortly before “Beltane” – the day where the summer is introduced – but in Southern Germany it looks like Middle of January. Even the days are already long, there is a grey twilight all the day. Its snowing and raining for days, temperature always close to zero. In the Black Forest the mass of snow became already a problem since this snow is very wet and heavy. Branches of trees were falling down. And in the Allgau (Bavaria) there are 30 centimetres of snow in some places. East-Switzerland experiences a mass of snow. The weather conditions are a big problem for traffic. A lot of accidents happened. Some drivers didn’t expect these kind of conditions late April. It is the first time that there is a closed sheet of snow in Bavaria since April 1989. This weather pattern, however, is not an anomly. Even this is not so typical winter can often last til May in Europe. In the mountains there is still snow most of the years. What’s getting amazing and perhaps a new trend due to climate change is the strong contrast between high and cold temperatures in a short time span. The current situation causes the biggest problem for the farmers. The late frost created huge damage in the orchards. Fruit trees are in full blossom because of the sunshine and warm temperatures in the first week of April and couldn’t stand the cold temperatures later. Its nearly impossible to protect orchard trees, particularly huge fields of fruit trees. There is also a problem for vineyards and gardens now. April is always a big risk for agriculture because it is unpredictable. Anything is possible. There had already been years with heat, drought and winter days like this year. What is really remarkable is the amount of rain and snow which is coming down now for days. It looks like the low-pressure system isn’t moving. However it is not a dangerous situation like the so-called 5B-pattern in Middle Europe when humid air from the Mediterranian is pressing against the North and leaving devastation floods. In April there are normally often showers of sleet, which is the so-called “April Weather”. Often then there is a quick change between sunshine and rain. For photographers April is usually a good time to take pictures of rainbows. This year, these days with its grey skies don’t look like something which is worth to take some pictures. However even such a late winter day can create a special mood. The pictures were taken at lake Ammersee, Upper Bavaria. 
April is always a month of extremes in temperatures from very cold days til hot days. The record is a day with over 30C in Brandenburg, Germany. It’s normal that the weather is not stable. The meteorological explanation is that is is already very warm in Southern-Europe and Northern Africa and on the other side the sun is lower in the North; the sea is still very cold. Therefore there is a struggle between cold air and warm air. The good news is that summer wins the battle – for some months.
