The majority of the Netherlands is under a code orange weather warning today, with up to 10 centimetres of snow expected in some areas. If you haven’t already, remind your boss that authorities are urging people to stay home.
And if you’ve been hoping the winter chaos would ease up, think again. The KNMI has issued a code orange warning for 11 provinces, covering nearly the entire country except Limburg and the Wadden Islands.
The warning came into effect this morning as snow began moving in from the west, with the heaviest snowfall expected in eastern areas. According to RTL Nieuws, between 5 and 10 centimetres of fresh snow is forecast.
But it’s not all fluffy white snowflakes and snowballs. Strong southerly winds of force 6 to 7 along the coast are making conditions pretty bad, causing snow to drift and reducing visibility.
Roads are already gridlocked
This morning’s commute has already been an absolute nightmare for many drivers.
According to NOS, over 500 kilometres of traffic had formed on Dutch roads by 8 AM, making this the worst Wednesday morning rush hour the country has seen in years.
The A4 between Amsterdam and Rotterdam is particularly bad, experiencing gridlock traffic for tens of kilometres.
Train routes are reduced, and cancellations are growing
Meanwhile, the NS is running a reduced winter timetable, with no trains between Schiphol and Utrecht until 8 AM, and multiple routes in the north and east running fewer services.
At least it’s not as bad as yesterday morning…
However, according to NOS, the number of cancellations is growing, specifically in the west. They report issues near Dordrecht, Roosendaal, and Weesp.
And don’t count on a bus to fix your problems
Bus services are even worse, RTL Nieuws reports.
The Hague has cancelled all buses until noon, Utrecht suspended services until 10 AM, and Rotterdam’s RET buses aren’t running this morning.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam’s GVB services are operating, but do expect some inevitable delays.
Or a plane, for that matter
However, if you think your commute is bad, perhaps spare a moment for anyone trying to take to the skies from Schiphol Airport today.
According to NOS, the airport has cancelled 800 flights today. In other words, two-thirds of its flights.
Yesterday’s cancellations already left over 1,000 people with no choice but to spend the night sleeping on field beds at the airport.
For those fed up with the snow, tomorrow afternoon should bring rain to the southwest.
However, the weekend looks set for more winter weather, with forecasts warning of severe frost and wind chill factors potentially dropping to between -15 and -20 degrees Celsius, according to RTL Nieuws.
Stuck at home whilst snow piles up outside? At least you’ve got a legitimate excuse to dodge that meeting you were dreading.
