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Heavy snow causes travel chaos in southern Norway

Heavy snow has led to several accidents and travel disruption on Friday, with multiple weather warnings in place for parts of southern and western Norway.

Published: 17 March 2023 10:30 CET

Pictured is a snowy road in Tromsø.

Heavy snow has caused disruption across southern Norway. Pictured is a snowy road in Tromsø. Photo by Nazreen Banu on Unsplash

Heavy snow will continue throughout Norway on Friday after plenty of precipitation through Thursday evening.

The snow has caused significant issues for travellers in southern and western Norway, with the police and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration advising drivers to consider if a journey is necessary and work from home if they can.

At 7am this morning, traffic on the E18 into Oslo was disrupted after a car was flipped onto its roof. This led to partial closures, single-file driving and queues stretching kilometres. Additionally, shortly after 9:30am, the E16 between Skui and Rustan was closed due to traffic being blocked toward Hønefoss.

Meanwhile, two drivers were taken to the hospital for check-ups after an accident In Bjørntvedtvegen in Skien. And in Oslo, at around 7am, a car and a bus in Grorud collided.

Train traffic has also been affected. The Bergen line between Hallingskeid and Myrdal is closed due to snow avalanches. Additionally, signalling issues at Drammen station caused delays and changes to services from the station.

Furthermore, the majority of the mountain passes in Norway were closed due to bad weather or were operating with convoy driving in place.

Varsom.no has sent out a red danger warning for avalanches and an orange danger warning for snow in several places. In addition, a yellow danger warning has been issued for gusts of wind in Rogaland and Hordaland.

For an overview of closed roads and mountain passes, you can click here to check the Norwegian Public Roads Administration site.

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What to expect when travelling to Norway in summer 2023

Heatwaves

Relatively warm weather and long sunny days (unless you are on Norway’s west coast, where it is typically rainy) make Norway an attractive place to visit during the height of summer, as it won’t be as suffocatingly hot as other European countries.

However, that might not be the case this year.

Norwegian climate scientists have warned that the heatwaves that scorched Europe last summer will likely return this summer.

Heatwaves caused by African anticyclones are expected to make their way towards Europe this year, creating particularly hot conditions throughout the summer months.

The weather in Norway is dictated by the direction of the wind. If there is high pressure in Eastern Europe, it will cause wind from the south, causing hot and dry weather.

If heat waves impact Norway, it is essential to make yourself aware of the latest fire rules in the country.

Generally, fires are banned between April and September unless close to water or a disposable grill in the designated area of a park, for example. However, if the weather is hot and dry, a total fire ban might be enforced, which means all fires of any kind are prohibited.

One of the main side effects of heat waves in Norway is the increased risk of forest fires breaking out, which generally don’t affect populated areas but can affect air quality.

Norway’s weak krone

The Norwegian krone has struggled against almost all other major international currencies since last year. Moreover, the downturn has become even more dramatic since the beginning of 2023.

For tourists visiting Norway, the weak krone means that the notoriously expensive country will be slightly more affordable this year than in previous years.

One thing to note is that cash in Norway is less widely accepted than in other countries, and card is the preferred payment method for most businesses.

Therefore, you will not need to exchange for large quantities of Norwegian kroner. If you take out large amounts of physical money and it goes unused, you will lose out when you exchange it back.

The weak krone may mean much busier tourist spots in Norway this summer than in previous summers. This is because Norwegians may choose domestic holidays over trips abroad, and tourists will come to Norway to take advantage of the weak krone.

Quiet cities and infrequent business hours

Large numbers of workers in Norway usually take four weeks off between July and August. So if you are planning a city break, you can expect it to be quieter than usual as the locals head off on their holidays.

Smaller restaurants and shops will close until mid-August, while others will have slightly tweaked operating hours during this period. For example, they may remain closed Monday-Thursday.

Larger shops and restaurant chains will remain open, as will establishments with high tourist footfall, as it will be their busiest time of the year.

Travel disruptions

Typically, during the summer, several sections of the rail network are closed for train traffic so necessary maintenance and upgrades can be carried out.

There will be extensive rail replacement bus services throughout the summer for those looking to take the train in Norway. In Oslo, there will also be a bus for metro replacement services on several lines.

Train traffic across large parts of eastern Norway, including out of Oslo Central Station, will be affected by these works. Rail network operator Bane Nor has published a list of lines affected by summer works between June 24th and August 6th on its website in English.

Last summer saw airports in Europe crippled by strikes and staff shortages. While it may be too early to say, this may not be an issue with Norwegian airports this summer as the country’s largest, Oslo Gardermoen, was the most punctual major airport in Europe last year.

However, air traffic controller disputes in Europe could have a knock-on effect on Norway as flights will arrive in the country’s airports later than scheduled.

Covid rules?

There are no longer any rules or recommendations regarding Covid-19 in Norway. Those who feel sick and experience respiratory symptoms are advised to stay at home. Those with residual symptoms can go about life as normal.

Additionally, those with symptoms are not required to test for Covid-19 or report a positive test result. However, those in risk groups are advised to take a self-test. You can still buy antigen tests at pharmacies or supermarkets.

You may wear a facemask if you wish, but it is unlikely that you will see a lot of other people doing so.

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