Due to the snow and ice many people in southern Bavaria still cannot receive their parcels and letters. The reason: since the bad weather started in Germany, almost no trains and buses are running, and distribution service employees cannot go to work.

But for some others, things are even worse: like the travelers who have been stranded at Munich airport, waiting for days for their flight. Hundreds of passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport. The amount of snow that fell over the weekend was equivalent to that of an entire winter.

When the snow cleared, the airport was operational again for a while – until the ice storm came and all flights had to be canceled again. And as if that wasn’t enough, because many passengers were transferred to Frankfurt airport, there was congestion there. In addition, it was not possible to travel from Munich to Frankfurt by train, as the main station of the Bavarian capital could not be operated. Also, the reopening of the railways is delayed, because in many parts of the tracks snow and ice have caused serious damage.

Could this mess be avoided because of the snowfall? And what is its cost? It’s hard to give a precise answer, says Michael Santo of the board of supply consultancy H&Z. He estimates a number that will surely exceed 100 million.

Are Nordic countries better prepared?

How could Germany prepare better? Are northern European countries like Norway, Sweden or Finland just more technologically advanced? Nothing is heard there about chaotic situations with flights or train schedules. Oslo airport, for example, is the one with the least delays in Europe – even though it snows 50 to 60 days a year. “We have never closed in winter,” writes Avinor, the airport’s operator, to DW. However, heavy snowfall could hamper the operation of the airport and cause delays and even flight cancellations.

Scandinavian airports often have more potential, because “the occupancy of these airports is in no way comparable to that of Munich or Frankfurt,” says Santo. Additionally, the amount of snow this past weekend was unprecedented, making it literally impossible to clear them.

Up to 44cm of fresh snow fell in Munich between Friday and Saturday – more than has ever fallen in one day since records began. The previous record was set in December 1938, when 43 centimeters of snow fell in one day. At Munich Airport, winter season services have been on hold since the beginning of November. 150 to 200 people work in two shifts of 12 hours each – but this was not enough to avoid chaos due to the snow.

Thomas Pouls, a traffic and infrastructure expert at the Institute of German Economics in Cologne, thinks that of course airports and train stations should be prepared for huge snowfalls. However, the glass ice does not leave much scope. Even preparing for heavy snowfall, however, requires a lot of effort. “In Scandinavian airports this situation exists almost every year, but not in Germany,” Puls tells DW.

Investments in the railway are necessary

Of course, delays on German railway lines are a common occurrence – even if there is no unprecedented snowfall. “The railway infrastructure is like a patient in the intensive care unit, which is not due to the weather, but rather to the lack of investment for a long time,” Santo tells DW.

However, more investments are also needed for days with snow, as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung notes, taking into account the example of neighboring Austria. Austrian Railways (ÖBB) is back in full operation again, although it was also affected by the snowfall. According to FAZ, ÖBB invests EUR 40 million annually in winter services – with a turnover of EUR 5 billion. Deutsche Bahn may have spent 300 million euros between 2017 and 2022 on its winter services, but it also has a tenfold turnover of 56 billion euros, as well as a larger network of lines.

When it comes to airports, however, Santo is more cautious. Airport capabilities could also be improved, but this is a cost-benefit trade-off. “We experienced a once-in-a-decade event that caused fewer cancellations than any average Lufthansa or rail strike. That is why the increase in personnel and logistical capabilities is a disproportionate measure.”