Winter is here: snow in central Norway causes road closures

Up to 20 centimetres of snow fell in the Dovrefjell National Park area during the night.

Mountain passes at Sognefjellet and Strynefjellet were closed due to the conditions, broadcaster NRK reports.

“It is snowing and windy, so it’s hard to say when (roads) will open again,” Jeanette Andersen, a traffic operator with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA), told NRK.

Meanwhile, conditions on National Road (riksveg) 3 in the Østerdalen area are also poor, with NPRA warning motorists of icy conditions, wind and light snowfall.

National Road 15 was reopened at Strynefjellet was reopened after being closed on Monday night, while the E6 motorway remains open in the area but is also affected by the snowfall, and police have warned of icy conditions.

The snow could continue during Tuesday, meteorologist Per Egil Haga told NRK.

“There are precipitation areas in northern parts. We expect this to turn to rain in lower-lying areas during the day. Snow will continue above 800 metres,” Haga said.

Meanwhile, national meteorologist YR forecasts that the cold wind from the north will also affect southern parts of the country on Tuesday, with cool air and rain.

Any precipitation falling above 500-800 metres altitude will take the form of snow, the agency tweeted.

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