Central regions are expected to see some sunshine, though it will remain cloudy elsewhere and heavy snow could fall in the western Kurzeme region. A slow to moderate southerly wind will blow and temperatures will be in the ranges of -2 C to -7 C where clouds persists and -6 C to -11 C where clear skies predominate.
A yellow weather warning for snow is in place in the west.
Labrīt!
— Meteo.lv (@LVGMC_Meteo) December 15, 2022
Šodien daudzviet mākoņains, vienīgi valsts centrālajos raj. debesis skaidrosies. Valsts austrumu raj. un Kurzemē snigs - Kurzemē stipri. Ceļi atsevišķos posmos būs slideni. Pūtīs lēns līdz mērens D puses vējš, un G.t. būs -2…-7°, bet valsts centrālajos raj. -6…-11°. pic.twitter.com/BS8xyUYpSE
According to Latvian State Roads (LVC) "[On Thursday morning] snow and ice make it difficult to drive on the country's main and regional roads, in many places in Kurzeme and Vidzeme, driving conditions are especially difficult due to drifting on local roads. Snowy and slippery road sections are cleaned and sprinkled with anti-slip materials. In order to improve driving conditions, 31 winter service equipment units are involved in road maintenance works."
Especially difficult driving conditions on the country's main roads are:
- Vidzeme highway (A2) from Līgatne to Vireši;
- Valmiera highway (A3) from Murjāni to Strenči;
- Daugavpils highway (A6) from Saulkalne to Skriveri;
- Liepāja highway (A9) from Annenieki to Blīdene;
- Ventspils highway (A10) from Kūdra to Ventspils,
Driving on regional roads is difficult in the vicinity of Balvi, Cēsis, Liepāja, Madona, Talia, Tukums, Valmiera and Ventspils.
LVC reminds drivers that during snowfall, the snow layer and icing can form repeatedly and journeys are likely to take considerably longer than usual. It is important to choose a driving speed appropriate to the weather conditions and leave a greater distance to the vehicles in front.
Snow clearance works are carried out in priority order, first working on main, then regional and then local roads. LVC emphasized that the purpose of the maintenance works is to improve driving conditions as much as possible, but they cannot prevent winter.
After the end of snowfall, the country's main highways must be cleared of snow within three hours, while less busy roads are given up to 24 hours for this work. You can see an interactive map of current road conditions at: https://lvceli.lv/#_brauksanas_apstakli_ziema
Police said 116 accidents were registered on Latvia roads Wednesday, with four people injured.
