Police warn drivers to leave cars parked as snow returns to northern Norway

Police in Troms, northern Norway, have urged drivers with summer tyres to leave their vehicles at home as unexpected snowfall covers roads, Dagbladet reports.

“You must leave the car parked if you’re not equipped for the conditions,” operations manager Karl Erik Thomassen wrote in a police log update on Monday. “There may be snow on the roads in the early morning and clear just hours later.”

After a prolonged period of fine weather and an unusually mild April, many drivers had already switched to summer tyres. However, a sudden cold snap brought snow and slush to the region, with road network images showing snow along routes in Tromsø.

By Monday morning, police had already fined three motorists for driving on summer tyres in snowy conditions. Thomassen noted that while the forecast suggests milder temperatures later in the week, drivers must adapt to current conditions.

“We’re seeing the light at the end of the snow tunnel and hope spring will return soon,” he added.