Snow and ice ahead? Forecasting centres disagree but the odds are on wintry weather

Opinion is still divided but there is growing confidence among weather forecasters that the Netherlands may be hit by heavy snow and frost early next week.

According to some weather models, the Netherlands could face heavy snowfall from Sunday, with moderate frosts at night, and the north of the country would be most affected.

The KNMI weather bureau is forecasting wind, frost and snow, with temperatures falling to -5 Celsius into the middle of next week.  NOS too, says snow is on the way.

But NOS weatherman Gerrit Hiemstra told the Volkskrant it is still unclear if it will be as cold as forecast and if outdoor skating could be on the cards. ‘If it freezes, it will be at the same time as the snow, and a thin layer of snow is bad for the ice growth,’ he said.

The European weather forecasting centre ECMWF is forecasting the wintry snap, but rival computer simulation system GFS does not expect much in the way of frost.

Buienradar meteorologist Marc de Jong says the uncertainty is all due to an area of low pressure above the Atlantic Ocean, which is heading for the Netherlands.

‘But whether or not it reaches the mainland and where, is crucial in determining how cold it will get,’ De Jong said.

Weeronline weather forecaster Raymond Klaassen is hedging his bets and says it is hard to predict snowfalls more than 48 hours away.

‘But it will become clearer later in the week,’ he said. ‘Then we can say more about the options for skating, building snowmen and cross country skiing across rural Groningen.’