Winter storm disrupts Easter travel as mountain passes close across southern Norway

A severe winter storm has forced the closure of several key mountain routes in southern Norway on Easter Saturday, causing lengthy delays for holiday travellers. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration reports multiple collisions and warns of hazardous driving conditions as blizzards and icy roads sweep the region.

According to Dagbladet, three separate traffic incidents occurred Saturday morning on Route 7 over Hardangervidda, Norway’s largest mountain plateau. A collision involving three vehicles and seven people took place near Dyranut, while a separate incident involved three individuals in a nearby crash. No injuries were reported. Authorities initially implemented convoy driving before fully closing the route by mid-afternoon.

By 3 PM local time, the roads administration listed the following closures and restrictions:

• Hardangervidda: closed to all traffic except vehicles over 7.5 tonnes (chains required for convoy driving)
• Valdresflye: closed
• Strynefjellet: closed
• Sognefjellet: closed
• Haukelifjell: convoy driving only
• Hol–Aurland and Vikafjellet: convoy driving only

Weather stations at Nedre Båtstjørne (1,172 metres above sea level) recorded wind gusts exceeding 16 m/s, with heavy snowfall and near-whiteout conditions. Queues at Haugastøl stretched up to six hours for drivers attempting to cross Hardangervidda, while reports from Haukelifjell described similarly prolonged waits.

Andreas Rasmussen, a traffic operator at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s western regional centre, acknowledged the severe disruptions. “We don’t have a complete overview of queue lengths, but we’ve received numerous reports of people waiting for hours on Haukelifjell,” he told Dagbladet. “Conditions are challenging across multiple locations—closed routes on Hardangervidda, convoy driving on Haukelifjell, and reduced visibility in Hemsedal.”

Rasmussen urged drivers to avoid unnecessary travel and check real-time road updates. “We understand it’s frustrating to wait, but patience is essential for safety,” he said. Social media groups dedicated to mountain crossings were flooded with accounts from motorists stranded since morning, some reporting no movement in hours.

The storm, named “Dave” by meteorologists, coincides with the peak of Norway’s Easter holiday travel period, when many families return from mountain cabins and ski resorts.