Snowfall blankets northern Netherlands; Drivers warned of slick roads

By Janene Pieters on January 4, 2016 - 08:23
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Snow in Groningen, January 4th, 2016 (Photo: @PaulaBvO/Twitter). (Snow in Groningen, January 4th, 2016 (Photo: @PaulaBvO/Twitter))

Large parts of the provinces Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe are covered in about 1 to 2 centimeters of snow. Motorists are warned to be careful of slick roads.

According to NOS weatherman Marco Verhoef, the snow cover won't melt because the temperatures in these provinces are below zero. There will also be more snow later this morning, which may lead to up to 6 centimeters of snow covering the ground. This applies to all three northern provinces, with the greatest chance of snow in Groningen where it is the coldest.

The Rijkswaterstaat advises motorists in Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe and also Overijssel to be aware of slick roads caused by frozen wet sections and snowfall during Monday morning rush hour. Motorists are advised to keep a close eye on the weather forecast and traffic information and adjust their driving style according. Keep a safe following distance and decrease speed.

The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute issued a code yellow weather warning for slick roads for Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe and the Waddenzee area. The warning is in effect between 5:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Monday and may be issued again for Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

The winter conditions on Monday has the gritters very busy in the North of the country. The Rijkswaterstaat sprinkled 465 thousand kilos of salt on the roads in 90 trips between Sunday evening and Monday morning, according to the Telegraaf.

The rest of the country, where the temperatures are above freezing, will mostly have to deal with rain on Monday. Afternoon temperatures will range from -3 degrees in Groningen to 9 degrees in Zeeland, according to the KNMI. The Northeast will have cold weather with a chance of slickness on the roads until Thursday morning. For the rest of the country the weather will be volatile and mild with occasional strong winds.

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