2-phase storm to dump snow across major European cities

Courtney Travis

February 5, 2021 at 1:24 PM·3 min read

A long-duration storm system is forecast to spread heavy snow from the United Kingdom to the Netherlands and Ukraine, and it could produce some of the largest snowfall accumulations yet this winter for some areas.

"The wintry weather through early next week will be the product of a two-part storm. The storm will first trek from southern France into Germany through Sunday then redevelop in Italy on Sunday and go into eastern Europe through at least Tuesday night," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.

The storm has been given multiple names by different meteorological organizations in Europe, Storm Darcy recognized by Belgium, France, Netherlands and the United Kingdom and Storm Tristan recognized by Belarus, Czechia, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine.

Periods of snow will first begin in parts of Scotland and England during the day on Saturday before spreading through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and across the Alps by early Sunday.

Snow will persist in many of these areas on Sunday before it begins to wind down on Monday.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

This includes London, which is forecast to pick up as much as 1-3 inches (3-8 cm) of snow. Should snow accumulate in London this weekend, it would be the second snowfall in two weeks for the U.K. capital. This storm could also produce the city's biggest snowfall so far this winter.

A swath of heavier snow is likely from the Netherlands, across north-central Germany and into southern Poland and northwestern Ukraine, where as much as 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) of snow is possible by Tuesday night. This includes some major cities, such as Amsterdam, Krakow and Cologne and the southern Berlin suburbs of Germany.

Even heavier snow is forecast for far southeastern Poland and western Ukraine as well as eastern Netherlands and northwest Germany where snowfall totals can reach 12-18 inches (30-45 mm). This is also the most likely location for the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches (60 cm).

Other cities such as Kyiv, Warsaw and Prague are forecast to get around 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) of snow through Tuesday night.

Another area of heavy snow is likely in northern Italy and the Austrian Alps.

In addition to the heavy snow, gusty winds are likely to pick up throughout the weekend, particularly across northern Germany into eastern England starting later Saturday. This wind will continue to fuel sea-effect snow in the eastern United Kingdom and could also cause blizzard conditions.

"Wind gusts of 35-50 mph (55-80 km/h) will be possible into Sunday night, increasing the chances for whiteout conditions and blowing and drifting snow, which can be quite dangerous," Roys said.

Many areas are likely to get snow for at least 36 hours, which at times could come down hard enough that transportation crews may have difficulty keeping up with the snow accumulating on the roads. When combined with any whiteout conditions, this will increase the risk of difficult travel across the region.

Overall, snow will end from west to east across the continent late Monday through Wednesday. However, some sea-effect snow is forecast to persist in portions of the eastern United Kingdom into the middle of the week, including cities such as Leeds, Sheffield and Cambridge.

Behind this major storm, even more wintry weather is likely for Europe with several storms possible through Valentine's Day weekend.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, Fubo, and Verizon Fios.

Associated Press
Republicans join Trump's attacks on justice system and campaign of vengeance after guilty verdict
Embracing Donald Trump’s strategy of blaming the U.S. justice system after his historic guilty verdict, Republicans in Congress are fervently enlisting themselves in his campaign of vengeance and political retribution in the GOP bid to reclaim the White House. Almost no Republican official has stood up to suggest Trump should not be the party's presidential candidate for the November election — in fact, some have sought to hasten his nomination. Few others dared to defend the legitimacy of the New York state court that heard the hush money case against the former president, or the 12 jurors who unanimously rendered their verdict.
Associated Press
Sexist tropes and misinformation swirl online as Mexico prepares to elect its first female leader
Mexican voters are poised to elect their first female president, a cause of celebration for many that has also touched off a flurry of false and misogynist online claims, blurring the lines behind fact and fiction. The candidate considered the favorite in Sunday's contest, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, has also faced slurs about her Jewish background as well as repeatedly debunked claims she was born in Hungary. This week, in an apparent bid to undermine her candidacy, a social media account impersonating a legitimate news outlet posted fake, AI-generated audio of Sheinbaum admitting that her campaign was failing in a key Mexican state.
Associated Press
LGBTQ+ Pride Month is starting to show its colors around the world. What to know
The monthlong global celebration began with Gay Pride Week in late June 1970, a public celebration that marked the first anniversary of the violent police raid at New York’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar. The first pride week featured marches in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, and it has grown ever since. In 1999, President Bill Clinton proclaimed June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. WHAT’S BEING CELEBRATED?
TODAY
What is the true history of the California roll? The sushi has a fishy origin story
This is the true North American sushi story of the California roll, and who could have invented the ubiquitous dish.
Associated Press
European vote could tip the balance on Meloni's far-right agenda in Italy
While Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni adopts a reassuring Western-allied foreign policy, cultural wars at home are preserving her far-right credentials heading into a European Parliamentary election, where her neo-fascist-rooted Brothers of Italy party is projected to secure significant gains — and a possible coalition role. In less than two years leading the EU’s third-largest economy, Meloni has emerged as the most powerful far-right-wing leader in Europe, a position emphasized in a fiery speech in May to a Vox rally in Spain that included French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Hungary's Viktor Orbán and pro-Trump Republicans. The European elections June 6-9 could begin to tip Meloni’s balancing act.
Associated Press
Is Trump still under a gag order after his conviction? He thinks so, but the answer isn't clear
Donald Trump said he remains muzzled by a gag order after his conviction in his hush money criminal trial. “I’m under a gag order, nasty gag order," the former president said Friday while speaking to reporters at Trump Tower. Referring to star prosecution witness Michael Cohen, Trump said: “I’m not allowed to use his name because of the gag order.”
Associated Press
From his Montana ranch, a retired lawmaker in a crowded House race is angling for a comeback
From a ranch in one of America’s largest and newest congressional districts, where agriculture and Republicans dominate, a retired six-term Montana lawmaker and grandfather is taking an unlikely path in search of a political comeback. Former U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, 68, is more than a decade removed from a failed U.S. Senate bid. Rehberg jumped into the race after firebrand conservative incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale dropped out amid clashes with party leaders.
AFP
Hindu holy city votes as India's six-week election ends
Indians flocked to the polls under scorching heat in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi on Saturday as a marathon national election reached its final day, six weeks after voting first began.It is one of the final cities to vote in India's gruelling election and where public support for Modi's ever-closer alignment of religion and politics burns brightest.
Associated Press
After a quarter century, Thailand's LGBTQ Pride Parade is seen as a popular and political success
Thailand is kicking off its celebration of the LGBTQ+ community’s Pride Month with a parade Saturday, as the country is on course to become the first nation in Southeast Asia to legalize marriage equality. The annual Bangkok Pride Parade is expected to pack the streets in one of the Thai capital’s busiest commercial districts. Pride Month celebrations have been endorsed by politicians, government agencies and some of the country’s biggest business conglomerates, which have become official partners or sponsors for the celebration.
Reuters
Mexican candidate assassinations hit grim record ahead of Sunday's election
Mexico's election is now the bloodiest in its modern history after a candidate running for local office in central Puebla state was murdered on Friday at a political rally, taking the number of assassinated candidates to 37 ahead of Sunday's vote. Jorge Huerta Cabrera, a candidate who was running for a council seat in the town of Izucar de Matamoros, was gunned down in the attack, according to the state prosecutor's office. The killing takes the number of assassinated candidates in the 2024 election season to 37, one more than during the 2021 midterm election when 36 candidates were killed, according to data from security consultancy Integralia.
Associated Press
US defense secretary says war with China neither imminent nor unavoidable, stressing need for talks
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart in avoiding “miscalculations and misunderstandings.” Austin's comments at the Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore came the day after he met for more than an hour on the sidelines with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, the first in-person meeting between the top defense officials since contacts between the American and Chinese militaries broke down in 2022 after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, infuriating Beijing. Neither side budged from their longstanding positions on Taiwan — which China claims as its own and has not ruled out using force to take — and on China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, which has led to direct confrontations between China and other nations in the region, most notably the Philippines.
CNN
US defense chief hails security partnerships in Asia in face of Russia, China threats
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday hailed the arrival of a “new convergence” in the Indo-Pacific, as the United States fortifies strategic and security partnerships in the region amid rising threats from China and Russia.
AFP
'We exist': S. Korea's first LGBTQ councillor tackles inclusion
South Korea's first openly gay legislator may have cracked the ruling party's rainbow ceiling but admits there is a long way to go to make the country's politics inclusive.Despite being South Korea's only openly LGBTQ elected official, Cha said they have found politics welcoming and productive.
CNN
UN food agency can’t feed enough Gazans in ‘apocalyptic’ Rafah as IDF pushes into city
The United Nations food agency is unable to feed most civilians in Rafah, its local director warned Friday, with most border crossings closed amid what he described as “apocalyptic conditions” and the Israeli military pushing further into Gaza’s southernmost city.
Reuters
More evidence points to Russia-North Korea military cooperation, South Korea defence minister says
South Korean defence minister Shin Won-sik said on Saturday that more evidence suggests weapons used by Russia in the war in Ukraine were illegally imported from North Korea. "Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea" is escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and "also affecting the battlefield in Europe", Shin said.
AFP
Tens of thousands of South Koreans to celebrate Pride despite backlash
Tens of thousands of LGBTQ South Koreans and their supporters are expected to gather in central Seoul for annual Pride celebrations Saturday, despite the event's traditional venue being banned by authorities for the second consecutive year.The event marks its 25th anniversary this year, but preparing for the annual celebration has not been easy, organisers said.
AFP
Austin praises 'new era of security' in Asia-Pacific
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hailed on Saturday a "new era of security" in the Asia-Pacific region, as Washington strengthens its network of alliances aimed at countering China's growing military might and influence. - 'We are all in' - Underscoring the US commitment to the region, Austin said Saturday that the Asia-Pacific remained Washington's "priority theatre of operations", noting "the United States can be secure only if Asia is".
AFP
China making youth unemployment a 'top priority'
At a job fair for soon-to-be graduates in central Shanghai, recruiters sat bored under washed-out tarpaulins as rain and an apparent lack of interest kept potential young employees away."It's difficult to find a job that matches your degree and aspirations," one of the few young jobseekers at the fair, a data sciences student, told AFP. "Lots of college students actually have too high expectations," said Julia Shao, who was recruiting for a restaurant chain.
CNN
A heroic officer was ambushed and killed by a gunman he tried to help. Another victim is dead, and several others are wounded
A Minneapolis officer hailed as a hero last year was killed by a gunman who ambushed the officer as he responded to the scene of another shooting, police said.
TODAY
While some companies market ‘natural’ MSG, my restaurant will stick with the original
Eric Huang, chef-owner of Pecking House, had a visceral reaction to Noma Projects' marketing of its mushroom garum.

Latest Stories