A cyclist moves through a narrow street in Frankfurt, Germany, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, as winter conditions affect daily life. AP Photo
Heavy snow and ice swept across parts of Europe on Wednesday, leaving thousands of travellers stranded and bringing daily life to a halt. At Schiphol Airport, more than 1,000 passengers spent the night inside the terminal after flight cancellations left them with nowhere to go.
Airport staff rolled out hundreds of field beds and served breakfast as crews worked through the night to clear runways and remove ice from planes. At least 800 flights did not take off, disrupting travel at one of Europe’s busiest airports.
Passengers face long delays and uncertainty
Among those stuck was Sonja Wurmlingel, who tried to return home to Argentina. Her original flight through Düsseldorf was cancelled. A second attempt through Paris also failed. When she tried to switch to rail travel, that plan fell apart as well.
“I’ve come from the train and they told me there’s no train,” she said. After a long pause, she added, “I don’t know.”
National airline KLM said crowds at the airport eased as many passengers stayed home after receiving early warnings about cancellations.
Roads and railways grind down
Snowfall also hit the Netherlands’ road and rail systems hard. Rail operator NS urged people to delay travel where possible, warning that icy conditions reduced train service more than expected. Both local and international routes faced disruptions.
Drivers encountered major trouble as well. Traffic jams stretched more than 700 kilometres as trucks slid on icy highways and snow plows moved slowly through heavy snowfall.
Paris blanketed in snow
In Paris, snow covered landmarks and streets alike. Roads and parks near the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre turned white, while traffic slowed across the city. One skier even glided along a snowy bank of the Seine.
Weather officials placed much of northern and western France on alert for snow and black ice. Authorities urged people to work from home and avoid driving. Officials banned trucks and school buses from the roads, and Paris suspended bus service during the morning hours.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said flight cancellations hit major Paris airports, with more than 100 flights cancelled at Charles de Gaulle and about 40 at Orly.
Rail travel also suffered. SNCF warned of slower trains and cancellations, saying, “snow on the tracks is forcing us to limit train speed and cancel trains or adjust traffic.” High-speed services between Paris, London and Brussels ran late.
Cold snap reaches northern Europe
Winter weather also caused problems in countries used to colder conditions. In western Sweden, heavy snow forced officials in Göteborg to pull all trams from service due to safety concerns.
In Finland, cold temperatures made it difficult to start diesel buses that sat unused during the holidays. Poor road conditions led to delays and cancelled routes around Helsinki.
Power slowly returns in Berlin
In Berlin, officials restored electricity to thousands of homes after a four-day outage during freezing weather. Authorities linked the blackout to suspected damage to high-voltage lines.
