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Multiple mountain passes in Norway closed on New Year’s Eve

A number of mountain passes in Norway are closed on New Year's Eve. The police are warning drivers to watch out for difficult driving conditions in many places in the country.

Published: 31 December 2022 11:55 CET
Mountain pass
Several mountain passes in Norway are closed, and police advise drivers to be cautious due to challenging driving conditions. Photo by Tobias Tullius / Unsplash

The driving conditions are particularly challenging when it comes to mountain passes.

“It can be rough when it comes to the mountain passes. Consider whether you have to go out for a drive. And if you have to, then bring some provisions in the car and fill the tank,” road traffic operator Erland Tretteskog at Vegtrafikksentralen told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).

In Rogaland, a small storm has been reported. Several ferry departures were delayed or cancelled as a result of the storm.

A significant risk of avalanches is also expected in large parts of the country.

“In summary, things will calm down a bit in southern Norway. There will be showers and wind further north. There will also be bad weather in Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag,” on-duty meteorologist Dina Stabell told NRK.

Freezing rain

The Eastern Police District warned motorists to watch out for freezing rain and slippery roads.

“We ask all road users to drive carefully. There are reports of very slippery roads in places with freezing rain, especially in the Follo area,” the police noted on Twitter.

On Friday evening, two buses and seven cars were involved in a collision on national highway 7 near Bromma in Nesbyen in Hallingdal.

No one was seriously injured in the incident, which happened at 8 pm. The road was opened on Saturday morning.

Closed mountain passes

On Saturday morning, the following mountain passes are closed, according to Vegtrafikksentralen:

* Rv13 Vikafjellet.
* E134 Haukelifjell.
* Rv7 Hardangervidda.
* Fv50 Aurland-Hol.
* Fv13 Gaularfjellet.
* E6 Saltfjellet
* E69 Skipsfjordhøyda-Skarsvåg i Nordkapp
* E69 Skarsvåg-Nordkapp
* Fv8046 Skarsvåg i Nordkapp
* Fv98 Ifjordfjellet
* Fv888 Bekkarfjord-Hopseidet
* Fv51 Valdresflya-Fagernes, stengt Garli-Bygdin
* Fv53 Tyin-Årdal
* Fv27 Venabygdsfjellet
* Fv51 Garli i Øystre Slinde, Innlandet
* Rv52 Hemsedal: Styrt trafikkavvikling

You can find a complete overview of the status of all the mountain crossings here.

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WILDFIRES

MAPS: Where is there a risk of forest fire in Norway this week?

There is a risk of forest fires this week across large parts of southern Norway, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute has reported. Here are the main areas affected.

Published: 20 May 2024 14:20 CEST
MAPS: Where is there a risk of forest fire in Norway this week?

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute’s forest fire danger index was already red, yellow, or orange, right across southern Norway on Monday, signalling a risk of forest fires.

The dark red “very high risk” area was, however, limited on Monday to a patch along the coast of Østfold.

The risk of forest fires on May 20th. Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute (NMI)

On Tuesday, the area of “very high danger” is forecast to spread to cover all of Østfold and areas of Vestfold, with patches of high risk area in Agder around Kristiansand.  

The risk of forest fires in Norway on Tuesday May 21st. Photo: NMI

By Wednesday, large parts of Rogaland and Agder are likely to be classed as “very high risk”, as well as areas of Trondelag around Trondheim. Much of central southern Norway will mid-week be classed as at serious risk of forest fire. 

The risk of forest fires in Norway on Wednesday May 22nd. Source: NMI

Have there been any fire bans announced? 

In Norway there is a general fire ban in place every year from April 15th to September 15th, which bans the lighting of bonfires in forests, beaches, the mountains, meadows, marshes, and other types of wilder landscapes. 

Norwegian municipalities or counties can then institute an “extraordinary” or “total” fire ban, which means you are no longer allowed to light a fire even in green areas in cities and towns such as public parks and municipal barbecue areas, or to use a camping stove in forests and other wilder landscapes. 

So far as The Local can see, no municipality has yet issued an extraordinary or total fire ban this year, but Stein Laache, the fire chief in Fredrikstad told NRK on Monday that he and the fire chiefs from 29 other municipalities were considering bringing in a ban “in a few days”.

He said that the ban could be a targeted at activities in the forest that could lead to a fire, such as forest itself or shooting at rifle ranges.

Fire servces in Sarpsborg said in a press release on Monday that they were considering bringing in a broader ban. 

“The fire service is continuously considering an extraordinary and extended ban on starting fires in and near forests and other wild, natural areas,” the municipality said in its press release, with the local fire chief Terje Surdal adding that “such a ban could be brought in at short notice”. 

Terje Romskog, the fire chief for the Rakkestad Municipality, told the NTB newswire that people in the municipality should of their own accord hold back from lighting fires. 

“There is one thing that applies: do not light anything – whether it’s a fire for coffee, a primus or a disposable grill. You have no idea how quickly it can spread and how big a fire can become.”

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