In Drenthe, Groningen and Friesland, code yellow applies until tomorrow 12 noon. The weather warning due to snow and slippery conditions would actually be in force until 8 a.m. this morning, but has been extended throughout the northern Netherlands.
Due to snowfall and snow residues, it can be slippery in places, the KNMI reports. The ANWB and Rijkswaterstaat also warned this morning about slippery roads in the north. “Adjust your speed and drive carefully,” says Christiaan Kooistra of Rijkswaterstaat. “It’s no different, don’t rush. And don’t think: ‘I have winter tires, so I can accelerate’.”
It is snowing in the northern provinces and because the snow remains, there are fewer lanes available, according to the ANWB. Traffic on the A28 from Hoogeveen to Assen must take delays between Ruinen and Assen-Zuid into account.
According to Rijkswaterstaat, that is also the focus. “We are now working with a number of trucks with snow plows to move things aside,” Kooistra explains. “Then the gritters go over it. So it is inevitable that it will take a little longer on the road.”
There are also delays on the A28 between Staphorst and De Wijk. That’s because of an accident. A car also ended up on the verge on the N33.
Rijkswaterstaat was surprised by the amount of snow that fell last night. “It was not entirely in line with expectations,” Kooistra admits.
According to RTV Drenthe weatherman Roland van der Zwaag, it indeed snowed harder than expected. “I took 1 centimeter into account, but that turned out to be 3 centimeters,” he says. “In the south of Drenthe, the temperature is now slightly above freezing, just like the temperature of the road surface. That makes spreading easier for Rijkswaterstaat.” In the north of Drenthe, the temperature is still below 0. “This applies to the air temperature, but also to the road surface,” says Van der Zwaag.
The weatherman expects the situation to become “more manageable” between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. “But the snow will hardly melt away and will also be driven into by cars. Tonight the temperature will also be around freezing point, which is why code yellow will still apply tomorrow morning.”