WEATHER
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
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 in Nordkapp
* E69 Skarsvåg-North Cape
* Fv8046 Skarsvåg in the North Cape
* Fv98 Ifjordfjellet
* Fv888 Bekkarfjord-Hopseidet
* Fv51 Valdresflya-Fagernes, closed Garli-Bygdin
* Fv53 Tyin-Årdal
* Fv27 Venabygdsfjellet
* Fv51 Garli in Øystre Slinde, Inlandet
* Rv52 Hemsedal: Controlled traffic management
You can find a complete overview of the status of all the mountain crossings here.