An orange warning for heavy snowfall is in effect in parts of southern and eastern Norway – including the capital Oslo.
"West of the Oslofjord and in the outer parts of Telemark and Agder, 30-40 centimeters can fall, but locally up to 50 centimeters. The rest of southern and eastern Norway can expect 15-30 centimeters of snow," writes the country's meteorological institute.
Locally, mainly around Kristiansand, up to 60 centimeters of snow can fall.
Canceled Departures
The warning applies from midnight on Monday to 12 pm on Tuesday. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, equivalent to the Swedish Transport Administration, warns that driving conditions may become difficult.
Train traffic in the southeastern part of the country is also affected. Bane Nor, which is responsible for the railways, has decided to cancel several departures on Monday.
"Instead of stopping all traffic, we're thinning it out so that the trains can still run," announces the state-owned company.
Local traffic should also be prepared for delays and canceled departures.
Think twice before you travel and consider whether you need to venture out on the roads, says Eilif Swensen, head of external communication at Ruter, which operates public transportation in Oslo and Akershus.
Flights may also be affected. On Sunday, Bergen Airport was forced to close for a few hours to clear the runways. The stop caused delays in all of Norway's domestic air traffic.
Ready to Assist
The Norwegian Red Cross is also increasing its preparedness to be ready if the large snowfall amounts cause problems.
We're preparing for the possibility that it may require a lot from local crisis organizations, says Øyvin Rannem Lund, acting head of preparedness and crisis management at the Red Cross.
The power supply may also be affected by heavy snow and trees falling over power lines.
Luckily, we have many volunteers with good skills and local knowledge in the entire area covered by the extreme weather warning and who are ready to assist with important skills and equipment, says Rannem Lund.
