Traffic chaos, schools shut
as heavens open with snow
2 March 2005
AMSTERDAM — Heavy snowfalls caused traffic chaos and forced the closure of schools and many other organisations on Wednesday, particularly in the north of the Netherlands.
Traffic delays were not only occurring on the nation's motorways
Meteorology bureau KNMI said the snowfalls were the heaviest in 20 to 25 years, adding further that snow in March is also rare. The snow may even be the heaviest in 50 years.
It forecast severe freezing temperatures on Thursday and Friday night of minus 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Between 20 and 30cm of snow fell within 24 hours in parts of Friesland and Drenthe provinces, with KNMI describing the snowfalls as moderate to heavy. "This does not happen very often," a KNMI spokesman said.
By 9am on Wednesday, 50cm of snow fell had already been recorded at Heeg in the southwest of Friesland. In Gorredijk, near Heerenveen in Friesland, 35cm of snow was recorded, while 34cm of snow was reported in Sneek, also in Friesland.
The snowstorm slowly spread across much of the country on Wednesday, but the amount of snow was not expected to be as heavy as that recorded in the north. Hardly any snow had been reported in East Brabant and Limburg by mid-afternoon
KNMI forecast continued snowfalls for the coming days, stressing the exceptional nature of the snowfalls. "An average of 20cm of snow occurs every 10 years, but we can expect 35cm only once every 50 years," a spokeswoman said.
Police reported complete chaos on roads in the province of Drenthe. There was just one lane open on motorways and motorists were becoming stuck in the snow.
Police in the north of the country were advising people to remain at home. Some trucks had already ground to a halt in Friesland on Wednesday morning.
Friesland subsequently employed 65 contractors in a bid to keep its roads free of snow, newspaper De Volkskrant reported.
The Department of Waterways and Public Works had earlier admitted it had been unable to cope with the amount of snow. The department even abandoned road clearing on some motorways in the north, let alone on provincial roads.
It used all of its 60 salt and snowplough vehicles in the northern province of Friesland, but with little effect. Friesland Province also deployed its fleet of 30 vehicles to clear local roads of snow.
Incoming flights were especially delayed at Schiphol © KNMI
Ambulances were being accompanied by fire brigade vehicles in case they became stuck in the snow. Response times were slower, but problems were considered minimal.
The number of accidents on Friesland roads was lower than normal, with police reporting 40 accidents.
A motorist was injured in a collision at Leeuwarden on the Heerenveen-bound lanes of the N32. The road was closed for 90 minutes.
Roads in Groningen were reasonably passable and a only small number of accidents were reported. Nevertheless, the emergency call centre of the insurance assistance desk (VHD) reported 270 accidents by 10am. It usually records 250 accidents for an entire day.
Schools and other organisations were remaining closed in the north of the country. Morning newspapers were not being delivered and switchboards were inundated with calls. A shed roof collapsed in Langezwaag, injuring several cows.
Various hearings at Assen Court were suspended because the judiciary's transport service (DV&O) could not transport detainees to the courthouse.
Train traffic to and from Amersfoort and Amsterdam was delayed due to a signalling fault and passengers were advised to travel via Utrecht. Delays were also being reported between Enkhuizen and Zaandam because track change mechanisms were inoperable.
Dutch rail operator NS was also encountering problems on the lines between The Hague HS and Leiden and between Hoofddorp and Leiden.
The winter weather also caused delays at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam because only two of three runways could be kept free of snow. Incoming flights were especially hit by delays, but departing flights were also problematic.
No bus services were being offered in Friesland, Groningen and a section of Drenthe after transport companies Arriva and Noordnet opted to keep their vehicles in their depots.
Long traffic delays had been reported around Amsterdam in the morning peak-hour period, but exceptionally long delays elsewhere were not being reported.
A day to remember … neighbours discuss the unusual heavy snowfalls
A spokesman for motorists association ANWB said road users were driving safely, resulting in fewer accidents and congestion.
Snow-clearing vehicles had sprinkled salt onto roads on Tuesday night, but the public works department urged motorists to keep an eye on weather and traffic information reports. It had warned people to leave earlier than normal on Wednesday.
As there was little traffic on Tuesday night, the salt had not been 'driven in', the department spokesman said. This means in some places vehicle travel was scarcely possible.
KNMI had previously said on Tuesday that a new low pressure system would result in a cold and snowy start to spring. The long-term forecast said the coming 10 days would see freezing temperatures and snow.
The spokeswoman said Wednesday's snowfalls were unique because a large area of the Netherlands was reporting snow, not just a few regions.
KNMI forecast severe freezing temperatures of minus 10 to 15 degrees on Thursday and Friday night. It also said it is possible that the March of 2005 will be the coldest March since 1971.
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