Traffic jammed up as icy road weather warning extends to Wednesday

Dutch meteorological service KNMI has extended its Code Yellow warning for icy roads and winter weather until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday. The warning is in force for every province and region in the country, except for the IJsselmeer. The icy weather caused several traffic issues even before rush hour, with over 1,100 kilometers of traffic jams on Dutch roadways by 7:45 a.m. as drivers navigated the highways at slower speeds.

"It is very congested, especially in the center of the country," a spokesperson for travel association ANWB told ANP. Still, the organization said it seemed like drivers were doing their best to pay attention. "There are fewer accidents than usual, and accidents due to slippery conditions are not happening at the moment."

Slippery conditions can be caused by the freezing of wet road sections and winter showers. To mitigate that, Dutch infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat dumped nearly 5.2 million kilograms of salt across over 65,600 kilometers of roads since last night. Residents in several areas in the east also woke up to some snow cover.

During the warning period, hail or snow is also possible, the KNMI said. "Particularly further inland, a temporary snow cover of several centimeters may form in several places. This may cause disruption to traffic and outdoor activities," the organization wrote in a bulletin on Monday.

"This afternoon and also on Tuesday afternoon, the slipperiness will temporarily be limited to areas with remnants of snow and winter showers, as temperatures will then temporarily be above freezing."

Several parts of Gelderland encountered a white dusting of snow on Monday morning. There is more snow yet to come this week, which could fall during evening and overnight hours, according to the KNMI and weather website Weeronline.

Temperatures will drop during the overnight from Monday to Tuesday, and pretty much every overnight period this week. The freezing temperatures will likely lead to dangerous driving conditions. The KNMI said it expects to issue more weather warnings this week.

The Rijkswaterstaat gritters were busy overnight. Since 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, they spread over 4.6 million kilograms of salt throughout the country to fight slippery conditions. Since October 1, 2023, the public works service has spread over 34 million kilograms of salt in the Netherlands, and the gritters have traveled over 438,000 kilometers.