Blizzard Hampered Morning Commute
Abundant snowfall and high winds have made roads extremely hazardous, especially in southern Finland. The Monday morning commute was hampered by slushy roads and deep snowdrifts.
Visibility was also poor as high winds stirred up the snow. Roads are expected to remain hazardous throughout the country.
On Sunday night, a plane on its way to Kuopio was forced to turn back to Helsinki due to the storm. Air traffic has since returned to normal. Many trains were also delayed.
The weather caused several fender-benders, but no serious accidents or injuries were reported.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute reports snowdrifts of over half a metre in eastern Finland. However the average snowfall of 10-20 cm did not set any records. For instance, Helsinki received 29 cm of snow in one day last November.
The new precipitation pushed total snow levels to more than a metre in some eastern areas, though.
The highest winds were along the west coast on Sunday evening. Storm-force winds of 25 metres a second were recorded on the island of Hailuoto.
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