Icy roads, fog to cause difficult rush hour this morning

The travelers’ association ANWB expects a difficult rush hour on Tuesday morning due to the weather conditions. The meteorological institute KNMI issued code yellow warnings for icy roads and fog.

Fog is reducing visibility to less than 200 meters in Groningen and Drenthe, the KNMI warned. And ice on the roads due to the low temperatures can cause dangerous driving conditions everywhere in the Netherlands except Drenthe, Groningen, and Overijssel.

Adjust your driving behavior, the KNMI advised road users. Drive slowly and maintain a safe following distance.

The ANWB expects the weather conditions to cause extra problems on the roads this morning. By 7:20 a.m., the association supporting road travelers reported 42 traffic jams covering 236 kilometers of Dutch roads. Rijkswaterstaat also warned road users to be “extra alert.”

Tuesday will start with clear skies, but cloud cover will take over as the day continues. The KNMI expects no rain, and there will be little wind. The day will be cold, with temperatures hovering around freezing. Wednesday will look much the same, but with more sunshine in the afternoon.

According to Weeronline, the cold nights may soon make skating on natural ice possible. "For real skating enthusiasts, flooded meadows and sprayed tracks will be the first available for skating. After a night or two of moderate frost, chances are that the ice is thick enough for small groups in these places. The first images of skaters on the Ryptsjerksterpolder and the track in Winterswijk will probably arrive on Tuesday."

With maximums hovering around zero on Tuesday and Wednesday, the ice should thicken quickly. "It is possible that natural ice rinks and ice clubs that use a somewhat thicker layer of water on a meadow can gradually open their doors on Wednesday and Thursday," Weeronline said.