With mirror-gloss ice covered with a light layer of snow, it has been extra slippery in several places in southern Norway this winter. – The smooth flow comes mainly from the fact that there are rapid temperature fluctuations around zero degrees, says state meteorologist Pernille Borander at the Meteorological Institute. There was mirror-white ice on the road through Numedal in Viken during the New Year’s weekend. Photo: Marit Sirum-Eikre / news And the outlook ahead is bleak. The researchers predict that there will be more days a year with icefall in the coming years. – Winters are getting shorter, wetter and milder and white Christmases are becoming rarer. The further north in the country, the more the temperature increases, says climate researcher Helga Therese Tilley Tajet at the Meteorological Institute. Climate researcher Helga Therese Tilley Tajet at the Meteorological Institute. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news The winter temperatures in Norway have increased by around two degrees on average since 1960. “Zero degrees crossings” Tajet says that the days that perhaps provide the most challenging driving conditions are days when the temperature goes from plus degrees to minus degrees, or vice versa. The researchers call these days “zero degree crossings”. Zero degree crossing A “zero degree crossing” is a day when the temperature crosses 0 °C, either by dipping below zero, or by creeping up above zero. Most of the zero-degree crossings are found where the temperature is close to 0 °C. Source: Norwegian Climate Service Center In a study, the researchers analyzed the development of the days with zero degree crossings over time. – What we see is that there have been several days with zero-degree crossings, says Tajet, and continues: – There are big variations, the number of such days has increased by up to ten days per year since 1960. Smooth roads and pavements in Oslo. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB In the Oslo area, there were close to 100 days a year with zero-degree crossings in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Now this has increased by 10–20 days per year. It’s getting colder According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, they measured a record number of days with zero-degree crossings in the Oslo area in January and February last year. Researcher and hydrologist Irene Brox Nilsen, together with colleagues in the Norwegian Climate Service Centre, has carried out a study of zero-degree crossings. They have taken the period 1971–2000 as their starting point – and compared these measurements with other periods. Irene Brox Nilsen, researcher and hydrologist, NVE and Norwegian Climate Service Centre. Photo: NVE She says that the measurements show that there have been several cases of landslides, especially in a belt between the coast and the high mountains. – We expect major changes in the future, she says. This map shows changes in the number of days with zero-degree crossings in winter if the climate emissions are like a medium emissions scenario (RCP4.5) towards the end of this century compared to the current situation. The map shows changes in the number of days with 0 °C crossings from the period 1971-2000 to 2071-2100 – in a medium emissions scenario. Photo: Norwegian Climate Service Center Most of the zero-degree passes are found where the temperature is close to 0 °C. Today this is in a belt between the coast and the mountains which is marked in yellow on the map below: Map with 0 ℃ crossings in winter from 1971–2000. Graphics: Norwegian Climate Services Center The analyzes have been carried out by the Norwegian Climate Services Center, a collaboration between the Meteorological Institute, NVE, NORCE and the Bjerknes Center. The smooth flow moves north The researchers have counted up the expected number of days with zero degree crossings towards the year 2100 – compared to the period 1971–2000. The results are based on the fact that there will still be high climate emissions in the coming years. This is what they found: Geographical differences The area with many zero degree crossings will move. Where it is cold and there are few such days today, Finnmarksvidda and inland areas in the winter and Høgfjellet in the summer, there will be several days with zero-degree crossings in the future. When the temperature increases, the belt with the most zero-degree crossings will creep upwards in height and northwards. It is expected that the area along the coast in southern Norway will become warmer, often with degrees of heat all year round. Then there will also be fewer zero-degree crossings. Change in needs With increasing temperatures, the need for preparedness and winter operation on vegan farms will change. Where it is smooth today, it may not be smooth in a few years. It has gotten worse Figures, which are currently not fully quality assured, indicate that there have been more icebreakers in the last 30 years than there were in the 60s, 70s and 80s. A plow truck ended up in the ditch along county road 356 in Straume in Drangedal on Wednesday due to slippery road conditions. Photo: Anita Moland / NRKE A plow truck ended up in the ditch along county road 356 in Straume in Drangedal due to slippery road conditions on Wednesday. Photo: Anita Moland / news Several small accidents So if you feel that there have been extra challenging driving conditions this winter, you are not wrong. The insurance company has also noticed the difficult driving lately. – It has been smooth driving to several places over the Christmas and New Year weekend. We have noticed a particularly great need for roadside assistance, says Sigurd Clementz, head of communications at If to news. – We have also had several people who have slipped into their own gate post because it has been so slippery in their own driveway. We have also seen several minor accidents at low speed in car parks. A car has driven into the ditch at Nesodden in Viken. Photo: Tonje Grimstad / news Communications Manager Bjarne Rysstad from Gjensidige tells about the same: – There is no doubt that it has been a demanding situation leading up to Christmas. There has been a lot of pressure on the roadside assistance services here too, says Rysstad. The insurance company received around 3,900 claims in the period from 17 December to the end of 2022. This resulted in repairs worth close to NOK 100 million. – There is a big increase from Christmas last year, says Rysstad. Storebrand has also seen a clear change from 2021: – We saw a large increase in the number of accidents caused by rain, ice and snow in December 2022 – approximately 50 per cent. October and November were on par with last year, says Synnøve Halkjelsvik, press manager at Storebrand.
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Increasingly slippery roads – and it will get worse – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
