Misty Days Before Christmas

After the storm on December 5, 2013, a high pressure system led again to quiet but grey days in Berlin with many hours of mist as before the storm. Sunlight became very rare during the following days till December 14. Only in some areas the mist retreated for some hours. These conditions are not the kind of weather photographers and video-makers are looking for. Some people head for the mountains where they could look at the mist from above and where they often find an impressing atmosphere. From the tops of the mountains the mist looks like the sea. This happens when air at the ground is cold and there are layers of warm air on top of the pool of cold air which work like a cap. The air below is trapped. Of course the quality of the air below the cap in not very good, particularly in areas with a lot of emissions. Nevertheless there is something about even these grey days where you couldn’t see very far (and if you don’t have a chance to go to the mountains). In the city before Christmas countless lights used for decoration at Christmas markets can create very interesting effects. The mist reflects the lights and it is astonishing how bright the city looks at night. If you spend some time you will find that mist can be very different and it changes constantly. Sometimes it seems that thick white clouds are close to the ground, then it becomes more clear and the layers of clouds are more around the skyscrapers. It’s further remarkable that at a certain high there can still be wind. Of course it’s very chilly with temperatures not far from zero. If the temperatures drop further below zero conditions can became very dangerous and these weather condition is often responsible for car accidents particularly on the countryside where streets close to a river for example can become wet and slippery with a sheet of ice. It also depends on the amount of humidity in the air. Outside Berlin there were droplets of water falling from the trees as if it would be raining (which wasn’t the case). It’s a bit like if you have too much humidity in your bathroom and droplets appear on cold metal.

So many days in December with mist are indeed a bit unusual since we might expect snow or windy days before Christmas in Middle Europe. Usually long lasting high-pressure systems appear more often in January here. However weather is always unique and it might be much too early to speak of an anomaly here. Nevertheless the increasing numbers of extreme conditions and new weather patterns over the last years make steady improvements in weather and climate research more and more important.

City In The Mist

Between autumn and winter there is usually a time in Berlin when the city looks enchanted. Often between the last weeks of November or first days of december a similar weather pattern occurs with days of mist. It’s already pretty cold and you need warm clothes if you want to take some pictures out there (when the air is wet and moist it feels even colder). If the mist doesn’t lift it creates a really unique atmosphere. For example the high rise at Potsdamer Platz looks like a frame from Ridley Scott’s legendary “Blade Runner”. The pictures were taken with long exposure and for the picture with the lantern I used f 22. Keep ISO low (100) and use a tripod since the mist could itself create a bit of a grainy impression.

The trick is to have mist but it shouldn’t be too thick so you can’t see your own feet. In Berlin you have these weather conditions sometimes lasting for a couple of days when the region is under influence of a high pressure system. Conditions could change during the course of the day. Sometimes you have mist in the morning then some hours with the sun shining and the fog coming back after sunset. When these pictures were taken conditions where pretty much the same within the city limits but sometimes there are interesting differences. As long as the water in the lakes is warm there are better conditions for foggy weather there when the nights are cold enough. Earlier in autumn wet meadows could create their own misty atmosphere. These conditions could be sometimes very dangerous for drivers if you have suddenly a bank of mist in front of you that seems to come out of nowhere.

click on the photos for more details

October 27, 2013: Interplay Of Light And Shadow Before Seismic Storm Christian

Rainy weather and an approaching storm of the century is not exactly what the photographer is looking for when he wants to portray the colors of late autumn. However any weather condition can become much more interesting as it seems to be at first sight.

October 27 appeared to be the last possibility in the Berlin area to get some images of beautifully colored leaves and trees in the rural landscape around the Chorin cloister north of Berlin. Even it was obvious that the monster-storm Christian wouldn’t do any real big damage in Brandenburg (North-East Germany) compared to many other areas in Northern Europe and particularly UK and Bretagne, it was clear that the strong wind would wipe the last leaves away the next day. But even here at the southern-border of the famous world heritage Grumsin, which is in the middle of popular tourist-area Uckermark, the threatening weather conditions could be felt the day before the storm hit middle Europe: first it was raining in the morning before the sky became more clear and temperatures began to rise. It was unnaturally warm for this time of the year and that meant there was a lot of energy in the weather-system. You could indeed feel the tension and that something big was going on. The Wind picked up later and it became the last warm and sunny autumn day in the region with an interesting interplay of blue skies and fast chasing clouds.                                                                                       


The most fascinating aspect of the stormy weather conditions on October 27 were the tiny spots of sunlight flying over the unique landscape. The structure of this landscape which consists of many hills and huge forests adds to the effect. It’s a landscape which was formed during the last ice age and has its own beauty. The fast changing light conditions might be a bit challenging for any photographer but a stormy day can make a landscape more dramatic and makes it maybe more lively as pure sunshine. The clouds on these day were hanging low which were another contribution to the dramatic effect.

 The landscape around the Grumsin-World Heritage resemble a bit the lovely countryside in Southern England or Northern Germany and the South of Munich in upper Bavaria but in comparison this region is much more dry. Long periods without sufficient rain are a permanent problem for farmers in Brandenburg. Forest fires in spring are also an issue because it is more dry than any other region in Germany. Winters are tough and very cold.



The time-lapse video below, which was taken at the Southern border of the Grumsin world heritage gives an impression about the special atmosphere of this rural region of North-East Germany. Seismic storm Christian hit Berlin on October 28 with some strong winds and it became colder afterwards but there wasn’t the kind of damage as in Hamburg or Denmark where the storm broke records in weather history.