BERLIN/FREIBURG/TRIER (dpa-AFX) - Slippery roads and sidewalks - and the worst was yet to come: In the west and southwest of Germany, rain set in on Wednesday morning and made for slippery roadways. The police in Baden-Württemberg have already reported many traffic accidents. For the time being, most of the damage was minor. Hundreds of flights were canceled at Frankfurt and Munich airports. Deutsche Bahn is also expecting disruptions. Heavy snowfall is forecast for central Germany. School lessons were canceled in many places.

The German Weather Service (DWD) warned on Wednesday morning of a very high risk of black ice due to freezing rain in a strip from Trier to Frankfurt am Main. In the affected regions in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, the risk of black ice was very high. Specifically, it said: "Great danger to life and limb due to freezing rain with heavy ice accumulation; widespread ice breakage." Staying outdoors and driving should be avoided at all costs.

Meteorologists also warned of slippery paths, squares and roads in the southern half of the country. In Bavaria, schools in Middle Franconia remained completely closed, according to the Ministry of Education. There were no major accidents in the morning.

The DWD forecast heavy snowfall for western and central Germany. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the snow should start in the morning. A severe weather warning is in force south of Aachen, Koln, Olpe and Winterberg from 11.00 am. Schools in the region remained closed as a precaution. Bus and train companies informed their customers that there could be massive delays and cancellations from midday. When they woke up in the morning, many people in the affected districts saw an official warning on their cell phones.

Flights canceled in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin

Travelers should be prepared for delays and cancellations. This applied to road, rail and air traffic. According to a Fraport spokeswoman, 570 of 1047 scheduled flights at Frankfurt Airport were canceled in advance on Wednesday. At Munich Airport, more than 250 of around 650 planned take-offs and landings have been canceled, according to the airport. There were also isolated cancellations at Berlin's BER airport.

Rail travelers must also be prepared for restrictions nationwide. Deutsche Bahn wrote on its website this morning: "There may be delays and train cancellations on regional and long-distance services." As a precaution, the maximum speed of ICE trains has been limited to 200 kilometers per hour. According to Deutsche Bahn, employees in the affected regions were on standby to clear points or ensure traffic safety at level crossings, for example. Clearance vehicles and heavy locomotives were available at strategically important points in the rail network.

In the morning, progress on the roads was slow or even stopped altogether. The police reported many accidents in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saarland. According to the police, there were around 30 accidents in Constance alone. In Freiburg, the police were also called out more frequently to traffic accidents. There were a few injuries, but most of the incidents ended with property damage.

Winter sports enthusiasts are happy

However, winter sports enthusiasts in some parts of the country enjoyed the white splendor - for example in the winter sports areas in the Sauerland. In the past few cold days, the snow cannons in Winterberg, for example, have already been able to produce a lot of technical snow. The Winterberg ski lift carousel announced that the natural snow that has now been added is ideal for the slopes. "The conditions could hardly be better." Meteorologists are also expecting a few hours of sunshine in the Sauerland at the weekend./cht/DP/mis