Germany's icy blast shuts down schools across two major states

Frozen roads and level-three alerts left parents scrambling. How Germany's harshest winter snap in years upended education—and when relief might arrive.

, and Administrator

2026 April 3 . 12:06 AM

1 min read

The image shows a large group of people walking down a street with umbrellas, some of them carrying... — The image shows a large group of people walking down a street with umbrellas, some of them carrying bags and holding boards with text. There is a light pole in the foreground and buildings with windows on either side of the street. In the background, the sky is visible, suggesting that the people are participating in a climate strike in Germany.

Germany's icy blast shuts down schools across two major states

Severe winter weather has forced widespread school closures across parts of Germany. In North Rhine-Westphalia, all schools remained shut on Monday due to extreme ice warnings. Meanwhile, in Hesse, many districts cancelled in-person classes as conditions worsened. North Rhine-Westphalia took the strictest measure by closing every school statewide. Students aged 18 or older could choose whether to attend if they felt travel was unsafe, but they had to inform their school. No nationwide shutdowns were ordered, though outdated reports from 2022 caused some confusion.

In Hesse, school principals held the power to decide closures. The Fulda district suspended in-person lessons entirely. Southern Hesse saw multiple closures, including all public schools in Reinheim and institutions in Babenhausen, Dieburg, Münster, Reichelsheim, Roßdorf, and Rüsselsheim. Germany's weather service issued a level-three alert for Hesse, warning of severe transport disruptions. Forecasters predicted slight improvements from midday, with temperatures in Darmstadt expected to climb to 4°C. Still, icy conditions dominated the morning.

The closures affected thousands of students, with distance learning replacing in-person classes where possible. While temperatures were set to rise, the morning's hazards kept roads and schools largely shut. Authorities urged caution as conditions remained dangerous in many areas.