Snow possible this weekend as freezing temps return; Some chance of natural ice skating
Cold air will enter the Netherlands from Thursday, bringing with it freezing temperatures and a chance of snow this weekend. There is also a chance that natural ice will get thick enough to skate on, especially in the northeastern parts of the country, according to Weeronline.
Friday started cloudy, with occasional light rain, especially in the western parts of the country. On Friday afternoon, the weather will dry up from the south, and the sun will show its face in many places, though clouds will prevail in the northwestern half of the Netherlands. Afternoon temperatures will range between 4 degrees in the northeast and 9 degrees in the south.
Overnight will be dry, and some places will already see temperatures dip to sub-zero. Minimums will drop to between freezing and -3 degrees Celsius. Some places in Groningen and Drenthe may be even colder, while minimums will hover just above freezing in the southwest.
Thursday will be sunny with a cold wind and a big difference in temperatures. Maximums will range from +9 degrees in the south to around freezing in the northeast. A moderate to strong easterly wind will make it feel below freezing in the northern half of the country.
Cloud cover will start forming in the southwest in the afternoon, and there is a chance of light rain by the evening. Overnight temperatures will dip below zero, making for slippery conditions on the sidewalks and roads on Friday morning.
Friday will see some freezing rain in the north and northeast. The rest of the country will be dry with plenty of clouds and occasional sunshine. Maximums will vary widely again. “In Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe, highs will barely be above freezing, while in the south of the Netherlands, it will reach around 8 degrees Celsius,” Weeronline meteorologist Johnny Willemsen said. The wind will be moderate and from an easterly direction.
The weekend will be colder, with maximums between 0 and 4 degrees on both days. The highest temperatures will be in the south, the lowest in the north east. “A small amount of snow may fall in some areas, especially on Saturday afternoon and evening,” Willemsen said. Overnight, temperatures will dip below zero in most places. In clear spells, minimums may fall to -5 degrees or lower in the east and the north.
With these conditions, it seems likely that natural ice skaters will be able to have some fun in flooded meadows or an outside rink early next week. People in the northeast of the country may even be able to skate on some shallower ponds, but that is subject to uncertainty, the weather service stressed.
The first few days of next week will be mostly dry and likely quite cold, with widespread freezing overnight and daytime temperatures just above 0 degrees Celsius.
The longer-term forecast is still uncertain. “Wintry weather may persist, but there’s also a chance of a transition to milder and wetter weather,” Willemsen said
