Cold spell

The weather in Thuringia, Germany, broke several cold and warm records in February 2021. Following spring-like weather, Thuringia was the coldest federal state during this period: temperatures fell below minus 20 Celsius degrees four times in one week, and dropped as low as minus 26.7 degrees. This cold spell brought massive snowfall. In Jena, where the following photos were taken, the snow piled up to 45 centimetres on 8 February, higher than at any time since measurements began in 1887. All traffic and public transport came to a halt, cars were buried under piles of snow, and the tramway track and main roads became a heaven for cross-country skiers.