Overnight snowfall, icy roads trigger weather warning
Meteorological institute KNMI issued a code yellow weather warning of icy, slick roads caused by the snowfall overnight. All provinces except the coastal ones are affected.
Motorists are warned that to adjust their driving behavior - slow down and keep a safe following distance. Keep a close eye on weather and traffic reports. The slickness should dissipate during the course of the morning. The southeast and eastern parts of the country will experience it the longest.
Traffic information services VID and ANWB both warn drivers about snow and ice on the roads. According to the VID, traffic in the east of the country is especially affected, though the entire country should take "treacherous slickness" into account. According to ANWB, Twente got between 8 and 10 centimeters of snow, though its already starting to melt.
The ANWB reports accidents on the A2 from Utrecht towards Den Bosch near Deil junction, only one lane open. Extra travel time of at least 30 minutes should be taken into account. The connecting road from the A50 from Oss to the A15 towards Nijmegen is also closed.
Throughout Thursday night and the early hours of Friday morning the Rijkswaterstaat worked to sprinkle 4.8 million kilograms of salt on the Netherlands' roads. Much snow was also moved from the road.
While the coastal provinces likely do not have to deal with icy roads this morning, they are facing heavy gusts of wind of up to 100 kilometers per hour. The winds should die down during the course of the morning, only to return in the afternoon.
The snow is expected to melt away during the course of the morning, but at the same time several winter showers, possibly with thunderstorms, will enter the country from the sea. This afternoon the showers will move from the northwest of the country inwards to the southeast. There is a chance of the showers turning into snow. Maximum temperatures will be around 5 degrees, though the windchill will make it feel several degrees colder.
