Winter weather causing hectic morning rush hour; More snow forecast
The winter weather is causing problems for all types of traffic in the Netherlands on Tuesday morning. Cars are piling up on the roads, multiple flights have been canceled or delayed, and several railway routes are affected. The KNMI expects several centimeters of snow in many places today and up to 10 centimeters in Limburg on Wednesday. A code yellow warning for icy roads is in effect for the entire country.
“It’s busy early on this wintery Tuesday morning,” the Rijkswaterstaat said about the traffic situation, reporting snow coming down in multiple places. “Take delays into account. Drive carefully.” By 8:15 a.m., the ANWB reported 107 traffic jams covering 1,005 kilometers of Dutch roads.
🌨️ | Het is al vroeg druk op deze winterse dinsdagochtend. Er staat nu ruim 275 km file op onze wegen en we zien op meerdere plekken sneeuw naar beneden komen. Houd rekening met vertraging en check https://t.co/AkieH72Pmg voor vertrek. Rijd voorzichtig. pic.twitter.com/8sj1HLMqeQ
— Rijkswaterstaat Verkeersinformatie (@RWSverkeersinfo) January 16, 2024
Schiphol Airport reported 26 canceled departures and 46 canceled arrivals by 8:00 a.m. It also said that 140 arriving flights and 28 departing flights had been delayed. Arrivals at Schiphol are being regulated due to the weather, and “high delays” were expected, said the European air traffic control center Eurocontrol in its 6:20 a.m. update.
ProRail warned of seven routes with switch failures on Tuesday morning and a collision between Meppel and Assen causing problems on the railways. NS warned travelers to check their travel planner before departure and to expect delays.
The weather radar from the website Buienradar predicts a snow pattern moving across the north and east of the country. It will mainly affect Noord-Holland, Flevoland, Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, and Gelderland for the remaining morning hours.
Maximum temperatures will climb to around 2 degrees, with a moderate southwesterly wind inland. On the coast, the wind is from the west and moderate to strong.
The iciness on the roads should melt away by late morning, the KNMI expects. Rijkswaterstaat gritters spread nearly 8.6 million kilograms of salt on Dutch roads since 7:00 p.m. on Monday to combat the slippery conditions.
“Despite the deployment of over 550 gritters, slippery conditions cannot be ruled out. Take freezing wet road sections and slippery conditions into account. Adjust your driving style and keep your distance,” the RIjkswaterstaat said on X.
