The German Weather Service has warned of slippery conditions in Frankfurt and the wider Rhein-Main region as temperatures fall below freezing on the night of Friday 13 November into Saturday. The Frankfurter Neue Presse reports that frost, fog and ice formation could make roads and pavements dangerous overnight.
What happened
According to the Frankfurter Neue Presse, the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD, Germany’s national weather service) has issued a warning about Glätte, meaning slippery ice, for Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main-Gebiet, the metropolitan region around the city. The paper says drivers and pedestrians should prepare for slippery roads and paths.
Friday itself is expected to be calm. The report says the day in Hesse stays mostly dry, with clear skies in some places and cloud in others. Daytime highs are forecast at 5 to 9 degrees, and only 1 to 4 degrees in the higher uplands. A moderate wind blows from the west to north-west, with isolated strong gusts possible in the far north of the state.
The picture changes in the night to Saturday. The sky clears, and dense fog forms in some areas. Temperatures drop sharply, with lows between 0 and minus 3 degrees. Because of the frost, the DWD warns of ice in places, caused by Reif (hoar frost) or by Ãœberfrieren, which means damp surfaces freezing over.
On Saturday morning the fog gradually lifts. The day then stays cloudy but dry, with highs of 5 to 8 degrees, so temperatures return to above freezing.
What it means for you
The warning applies mainly to the night and early morning hours. If you drive, cycle or walk before the fog lifts on Saturday morning, expect that some surfaces may be icy even where the air feels only cold. The source describes the risk as local, so conditions may differ from street to street.
The Frankfurter Neue Presse does not give specific advice, road closures, public transport changes or details on winter clearing duties. It also names no particular streets, bridges or transport lines. Sensible checks for residents are therefore the ones the report itself points to:
- Allow extra time if you need to travel early on Saturday, as fog and slippery surfaces are both forecast.
- Take care on pavements and paths as well as on roads, since the report names pedestrians as well as drivers.
- Check the current DWD warnings before you leave, because the forecast is for temperatures right around freezing and local conditions can vary.
By Saturday midday the temperature is expected to be back above zero, so the risk is concentrated in the early hours.
What to watch next
The newspaper cites the DWD’s 10-day trend, which shows more precipitation in Hesse next week. Monday could bring the peak. Temperatures are then expected to stay clearly above zero, so on current information there is no ice risk on that day.
Further rain is expected during the week, and highs may exceed 10 degrees more often. At night, however, light frost near the ground cannot be ruled out. The Frankfurter Neue Presse stresses that the exact effects on Frankfurt and other parts of the Rhein-Main region remain uncertain, so it is worth checking the forecast again as the week goes on.
Source: Frankfurter Neue Presse
Sources
- Frankfurter Neue Presse: DWD-Warnung vor Glätte in Frankfurt – Niederschläge nehmen zu, accessed 13 November 2026
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