Dusting of snow in parts of Netherlands; Many flights canceled, warning for icy roads
Several parts of the country woke up to a layer of snow on Monday morning. Enthusiastic locals posted photos of snow in Anjum, Heeze, Vassen, and Westellingwerf, among others. The Netherlands has another icy day ahead of it, with more snow expected. Schiphol Airport reported dozens of canceled flights due to the weather on Monday. And the KNMI has a code yellow warning for icy roads covering the entire country except for Zeeland for the entire day.
The meteorological institute KNMI urged road users to drive carefully - adjust your speed and maintain a safe following distance. Rijkswaterstaat gritters spread salt throughout the country to fight the iciness, but the roads may still be slippery. At 9:00 a.m., the travelers’ organization ANWB reported 64 traffic jams covering 332 kilometers of Dutch roads.
There were several traffic incidents related to the weather. Two people were rescued from a vehicle in a ditch in Groningen after a weather-related crash. A biker was hurt in Doetinchem. And on the A67 near Eersel, a Lamborghini worth around 200,000 euros crashed into a guardrail.
Dozens of flights were affected at Schiphol Airport outside of Amsterdam, mainly from Dutch airline KLM, which said they expected to cancel about four dozen roundtrips on Monday. In total, airlines operating at the European Union’s second-largest airport canceled 65 departing and 84 arriving flights. From midnight on Monday through the end of the day, airlines reported that 31 more departures and 46 inbound flights were delayed as of 8:45 a.m.
There were a few minor delays at Eindhoven Airport and Rotterdam The Hague Airport, but the airlines did not announce any cancellations.
Monday will be cold and cloudy, with periods of rain or snow throughout the country. Maximums will range between freezing in the north and 3 degrees Celsius in the south.
The KNMI expects the icy cold weather to continue through this week. “From Friday, there will likely be a transition to milder weather with occasional rain,” the meteorological institute said.
