First nationwide gritting action of the season; Icy weather to continue through weekend

Meteorological autumn ended in the Netherlands with the Rijkswaterstaat spreading grit to combat icy roads everywhere in the country for the first time this season. The icy and cold weather will continue through the weekend and into next week, but after that, there’s a solid chance of some milder weather with more showers, according to the KNMI.

Thursday morning started with a code yellow warning for icy roads nationwide. Many provinces - Groningen, Drenthe, Friesland, Noord-Holland, Flevoland, Utrecht, Zuid-Holland, and Zeeland - also had code yellow warnings for thick fog reducing visibility. Both issues should dissipate in most places before the afternoon hits, the KNMI expects.

Gritters spread a total of 2,282,539 kilograms of salt on Dutch roadways because of the expected slippery conditions. That is about half of all salt used so far this season. It was spread along 36,815 kilometers of roadway, said the infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat.

Despite their best efforts, several crashes caused traffic to slow down on Thursday. Multi-vehicle accidents were reported on the A50 near Loenen and on the A27 near Nieuwegein. Rush hour traffic along those stretches of highway had to cram into a single lane, causing delays of up to an hour.

This afternoon will have periods of sunshine, but some places in the east may stay gray and foggy. The northern coastal region may see a bit of snow. Afternoon temperatures will range between -1 degree Celsius where the fog is persistent and +5 degrees in some places along the coast.

Overnight will see some snow in the northern coastal area and fog forming in some places, Mimiums will range between 0 on the coast and -5 inland.

Friday and the weekend will be a mix of sunshine and clouds, with minums dropping to around -4 degrees and maximums just above zero. Friday has the most chance of sunshine (60%), and Sunday has the most chance of snow (50%).

“From Monday, there will be regular precipitation and probably less cold nights,” the KNMI said. Later in the week, there is “a 70% chance of a transition to milder weather with regular rain.”