Snow, sleet and freezing rain create slippery roads and travel challenges | news

This has prompted the Transport Board (Transportiamet) to issue a warning overnight Monday to Tuesday due to worsening road conditions.

Heavy snowfall, with up to 10 cm of accumulation, driven by strong winds, has led to poor visibility, while in places the freezing rain and sleet will make roads slippery, particularly during the morning rush hour.

Drivers are urged to allow extra time for travel, to kill their speed, to maintain a larger distance behind the vehicle in front, and to remain cautious about road maintenance vehicles on the roads.

Temperatures overnight remained below zero on the mainland, but the morning is dawning much milder. While it will be around -2 degrees in and around Tallinn this morning, with slightly lower temperatures in the northeast, much of the rest of the country is seeing temperatures above zero, and up to +5 degrees Celsius over Saaremaa.

At the same time, snow and snowstorms are continuing to affect many areas this morning, mainly in the northern half of the country, driven by southerlies of 5-13 meters per second, in gusts of up to 18 meters per second on the coasts. In much of the west and south, however, the higher temperatures are transforming the precipitation into sleet and rain, with freezing rain in some places, leading to slippery roads.

While it will remain mostly overcast as the day wears on, the snow, sleet, and rain will abate save for in the easternmost regions of Estonia. The mercury will rise above zero nationwide, too – ranging from +1 degree in the northeast, to +3 degrees in Tallinn, +4 in Pärnu, and +5 degrees on the western islands.

Tuesday night will see averages around zero, however, meaning that again care must be taken when driving, as meltwater and residual rainfall can re-freeze.

As the week progresses, mean temperatures will drop, only to rise a little again heading into the weekend. Wednesday will see more sleet and rain in many places, with snow expected at times, and ambient temperatures ranging from -1 degree to +4 degrees.

On Thursday, heavier sleet and snow will spread across the country, with rain on the islands and the coast.

Again, temperatures will be mild for the time of year, fluctuating a couple of degrees above and below zero even at night. Early morning Friday is to see lower temperatures again, however, down to -5 degrees on average overnight Thursday to Friday, and to -3 degrees on Friday itself. Saturday is forecast to be snowy and windy, with temperatures remaining below freezing, although slightly milder than on Friday.

The days are getting longer, however, albeit slowly. Whereas dawn comes at 9.13 am on Tuesday, sunrise is at 9.09 am on Saturday. Similarly, sunset is at 3.41 pm Tuesday, but at 3.48 pm on Saturday (Tallinn times).