Cold with a chance of northern lights: the weather on New Year’s Eve

What will the weather be like on New Year’s Eve? From cold temperatures, potentially icy roads and the chance to see northern lights, here is the forecast at a glance.

Tuesday is off to a wintery start. “In the morning, we’ll start with fog and slippery roads all over the country. As the day progresses, the wind will slowly pick up and the fog will disappear,” Sven Rock from weather service Météo Réimech told the Luxemburger Wort.

The sky will clear as the day progresses. The sun may appear briefly in the late afternoon but will do little to beat the cold snap, with temperatures during the day ranging between -3°C and +1°C.

When the corks are popped at midnight and the New Year is celebrated, temperatures will be around or below freezing in many parts of the country. “Locally, you have to expect slippery roads and pavements,” said Rock. However, with clear skies as clouds disappear in the run-up to midnight, “there is even a small chance of auroras,” he said.

The new year will initially be a little milder. Temperatures of 1-5°C will be reached on 1 January. Sun and clouds will alternate throughout the day. “In the evening, we will come under the influence of a storm depression, which will bring some rain back into the country,” said Rock.

Snow is not expected until Thursday.

(This story was first published in the Luxemburger Wort. Translated and edited by Cordula Schnuer)