Trapped in the Snow

Large parts of Sweden have experienced the heaviest snowfall in years. Hundreds of cars and trucks were stuck on a highway in the southern part of the country, leaving drivers stranded overnight. A snowstorm also caused problems in Denmark. Kristina Kuld Kristensen had to endure almost a whole day on the highway near Aarhus. For the Danish woman, it was a horror experience. After just a few hours in her car, she started to panic. “After two hours, I couldn’t keep warm anymore, and I didn’t have enough fuel to keep the car running all night.”

She found shelter in Jacob Lund Kristensen’s truck for the night. “I simply thought she needs to come up here so she doesn’t freeze. She looked like someone who wasn’t doing well. So, I thought the least we could do is help each other.”

Enduring a 30-kilometer traffic jam

At one point, traffic on the E45 highway backed up for 30 kilometers after several trucks got stuck. An elderly couple was stranded in a patient transport without any provisions. Others ran out of fuel. The police tried to provide the stranded people with food and drinks. The military and emergency services also assisted at the scene.

In Eastern Jutland, the police urged people to stay home. Thorbjørn Grøfte from the emergency services said it could still take a while for the situation to improve. “We expect that there will be problems here for at least another day and a half. The weather and the large number of patients are a big challenge for us.” Many supermarkets are waiting for food supplies because so many trucks are still stuck.

Minus 40 degrees in Northern Sweden

Snow removal services also battled the snowstorm in southern Sweden. Here too, hundreds of people had to spend the night on the highway. The snowfall was so heavy that the crews couldn’t keep up. As soon as they cleared the road at the beginning of the jam, new piles of snow piled up in front of the remaining cars. Schools were closed, and thousands of households were without power.

But it’s not just southern Scandinavia that is being gripped by winter weather. Northern Sweden has been shivering in extreme cold for days. Temperatures have plummeted to below minus 40 degrees. Even locals like reindeer herder Erik Sarri are freezing in these conditions. “We are used to the cold, but when temperatures drop below minus 40, even I think it’s cold,” says Sarri.

Freezing temperatures until the weekend

Trains are no longer running, pipes are freezing, and hardly anyone dares to leave their houses – one would think. However, near Arjeplog in Lapland, tour guide Michael Ballas continues to offer activities for the most resilient tourists.

“We have carried out almost all activities. We went snowshoeing. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the elk safari, which was a disappointment for the tourists. But instead, we just heated up the sauna.”

Making the best of the freezing cold is virtually the only option for people in northern Sweden. Because the mega-freeze is expected to continue at least until the weekend.