Code Yellow Alert: Icy Conditions Paralyze Dutch Travel
The Netherlands has been placed under a code yellow weather alert as snowfall spreads from the southwest, creating icy and dangerous road conditions expected to last until Monday morning.
According to Rijkswaterstaat (Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management), 3,269 kilograms of salt were spread on major roads on Sunday, and extra salt trucks were prepared to treat slippery sections. Drivers were urged to slow down, keep greater distance from other vehicles, and remain alert for sudden icy patches, especially in urban areas and on highways.
Train services have also been disrupted. NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – Dutch Railways) reported limited service between Amsterdam Centraal and Utrecht Centraal, as well as between Schiphol Airport and Utrecht, due to emergency track repairs.
Other railway lines, including routes through Rotterdam, Groningen, Heerlen, and Haarlem, are running fewer trains than usual. In several areas, buses are being used to replace train services. Passengers are advised to check the NS travel planner regularly and allow extra travel time.
The snow is expected to reach Zeeland by late Sunday afternoon. Zuid-Holland, Noord-Brabant, and Limburg are forecast to face slippery roads from early evening, according to KNMI (Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut – Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute). While conditions should improve overnight in most regions, Friesland and Drenthe remain under alert until 7 a.m. Monday, and Groningen until 9 a.m., with 2 to 5 centimeters of snow predicted and higher local accumulations possible.