Walking in a Winter Wonderland (driving is too dangerous)
The uncommonly early snow fall has caused problems for both public and private transport Winter has come early to Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark, leaving many people struggling to reach their destinations. Snow started to fall in Copenhagen on...
Winter has come early to Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark, leaving many people struggling to reach their destinations.
Snow started to fall in Copenhagen on Wednesday and by Friday morning between 5 and 10 centimetres covered the ground, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI).
Conditions on the roads yesterday were difficult, and drivers suffered from severe delays. This is partly due to the fact that many cars are not yet fitted with winter tyres.
The fitting of winter tyres in Denmark is not compulsory, as it is in other Scandinavian countries, and those drivers without them were struggling in the slippery road conditions. The combination also led to a number of cars sliding off the road, making travel hazardous for cyclists and pedestrians as well.
Unfortunately the situation is unlikely to change soon, as garages across the country are reporting a wait of at least two weeks for new winter tyres. The shortage is due in part to a rubber shortage in Europe.
The snow has also slowed public transport Only two lines of the Copenhagen S-train were running on time this morning, and the Bx line between Østerport and Høje Taastrup was cancelled altogether.
According to DMI, more snow is expected over the next few days. Forecasters are calling for nearly a centimetre on Saturday. Snowfall will ease off towards the beginning of next week, but temperatures will remain low, with maximum day temperatures of around 0 degrees Celsius, dropping to minus five at night.