Long-term changes in snow cover dynamics across Germany (1950–present)

Snow cover is a highly sensitive indicator of climate change and plays a crucial role in hydrological processes, including groundwater recharge, runoff generation, and flood dynamics. Reliable long-term information on snow cover depth, extent, duration, and variability is therefore essential for climate monitoring, hydrological modeling, and impact assessments.

This study presents a comprehensive climatology of snow cover dynamics in Germany from 1950 to the present. The analysis is based on daily snow depth observations from the dense monitoring network of the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) complemented by partner networks in Germany and neighbouring countries. All station data underwent rigorous quality control and homogeneity testing. The cleaned observational dataset was then interpolated onto a regular 1 × 1 km² grid using an optimal interpolation scheme that forms an important part of the operational DWD snow-melt forecast model SNOW4.

A suite of snow-related parameters was derived, including mean and maximum snow depth, snow cover duration, onset and disappearance dates, length of the main continuous winter snowpack, timing of peak snow depth, snow cover persistence, and winter snowpack stability.

The results reveal a widespread, statistically significant decline in almost all snow-related parameters across Germany over the last seven decades. The magnitude of the negative trends is strongly elevation-dependent: while lowlands and mid-elevation regions show pronounced reductions in snow cover duration and depth, high-altitude ridge and summit areas exhibit substantially weaker or – in the highest zones – partly insignificant trends.

This new high-resolution snow climatology provides a robust, consistent dataset for hydrological applications, climate change impact studies, water resource management, and the development of future climate services in the field of snow and water resources in Central Europe.