Yesterday, residents of Reykjavik woke up to heavy snowfalls in combination with strong gusts of wind, leaving high banks of snow on sidewalks and black ice on roads before snowplows could get to work.
As a result, hundreds were forced to stay indoors while many others abandoned their cars in the middle of traffic. The police advised residents of the capital area to avoid leaving their homes and to stay off the roads unless travel was necessary, as stranded cars made it difficult for rescue workers to get about.
To add some dramatic tension to the situation, the police informed drivers via their Facebook page that if they happened to be stranded in the traffic with hungry children sitting in the back, they could ring 112 (the emergency number) to get assistance.
This winter has been relatively mild by Icelandic standards, seeing one of the warmest months of February in decades. While most Icelanders were expecting spring to be just around the corner, with temperatures as high as 8°C and blossoming trees, the sudden temperature drop and strong winds came as a chilling reminder that Icelandic winters usually last well into April.
See pictures of the snowstorm.
We had a short break from 4th – 7th March and experienced this storm. Went to bed (Hotel Natura next to Reykjavik Domestic Airport) on Tuesday 5th at 11pm having left the hire car in the snow-free car park only to wake at 8am to 8 inches of snow, drifting to a couple of feet.
But rather than get bored, knowing our 12 year-old 2wd Nissan Almera had winter tyres, the opportunity to go out could not be resisted. Buses had been suspended, Tour coaches cancelled, but we managed to get to the Blue Lagoon, 50km away in about 2 hours. We were two of only about 20 people there – a wonderful experience in a warm lagoon with snow showers overhead. The drive was scary in places, with a few whiteouts, but knowing the road south was largely straight, and would be the one concentrated upon by the Icelandic snow-ploughs, it was worth the shot.
It turned out to be one of the most memorable days of our lives.
As for the snow – it was still pretty bad on our return journey, but by the following morning on our way to the airport, it had largely melted.
Having just returned to England after a wonderful holiday in Iceland, I read your story above today. It was so at odds with our experiences I checked the live webcams in and around Reykjavik just now. They show almost no snow. How do you explain that?