Code Orange: Heavy snowfall in the northern provinces; Road users urged to stay home

Up to 15 centimeters of snow will fall in the northern provinces on Friday. The KNMI issued a code orange weather warning for Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, and the Wadden Islands, and the Rijkswaterstaat urged road users there to stay off the roads. Rain is expected in the rest of the country, which will turn to snow later in the day. A code yellow warning for slippery conditions is in effect.

The code orange warning in the north took effect at midnight and will remain in place until at least noon. “5-10 centimeters of snow, possibly 10-15 centimeters, will fall in many places in the north. Due to the strong easterly wind, there’s a chance of snow drifts,” the KNMI warned.

Snow drifts will add poor visibility to the already slippery conditions. The infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat, therefore, urged people in the northern provinces to work from home on Friday.

Rijkswaterstaat deployed “577 gritting trucks, 630 snow plows, three emergency response vehicles, and 1,500 people” to clear the roads in the north, but it’s a losing battle, the agency said.

If you must travel, monitor traffic information, pack food and water, and a warm coat or blanket, and make sure your phone is charged. “Adapt your driving style to the conditions, maintain sufficient distance, and don’t change lanes unnecessarily. And give gritters and snowplows space,” the Rijkswaterstaat said.

Qbuzz buses will not be running in Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe until at least after 9:00 a.m. due to the heavy snow forecast. Services on the Wadden Islands will start as usual on Friday, but the company will assess the situation and adjust as necessary.

The security regions in Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe, urged locals to be careful and look out for each other on Friday, ANP reported. “Only go out if absolutely necessary and help each other where possible,” the security region in Friesland said. Drenthe’s security office encouraged “neighborliness” and urged residents to “look out for the people around you.” The security region in Groningen posted a similar message. “In Groningen, we are used to looking out for each other. For example, sweep the sidewalk or street clear of snow together.”

The rest of the country will also get some snow later today, but the forecast is less extreme than for the north. “Snow will start falling in the rest of the country this afternoon and evening, with several centimeters of snow possible,” the KNMI said. “In the Limburg hills, up to 10 centimeters of snow is possible on Friday evening and throughout Saturday.”

The KNMI has a code yellow warning in place, warning of icy roads, bike paths, and sidewalks.