Blizzard Snarls North Europe Six Feet Of Snow Falls In Jutland Peninsula

Blizzards plowed through northwestern Europe on Monday, causing hundreds of highway accidents and forcing more than a thousand motorists to abandon their cars on snow-clogged roads.

The storms showed the contrast between countries accustomed to snow and those that are not: In Denmark, 6 feet fell in some places but there were no fatalities, while in the Netherlands, 4 inches of snow brought more than 500 car crashes and two deaths.

In Britain, trees felled by high winds disrupted train and road traffic. A motorcyclist died after hitting a fallen tree near Iver, Buckinghamshire.

It was the worst snowstorm in the Netherlands since 1985. In the northernmost Dutch provinces of Groningen and Friesland, heavy snow cut off access to many villages. Some schools closed.

Heavy snow is a rarity in the Netherlands and highway crews lacked enough equipment to keep roads clear. Ice on highways sent cars skidding, causing multiple accidents that paralyzed traffic.

In western Denmark, where snow is a part of life, the storm was bad enough to force more than a thousand motorists to abandon their cars on a highway. The travelers were advised by radio to walk to highway exits, where buses took them to nearby schools for shelter.

Denmark’s main Jutland peninsula was the hardest-hit area, with about 6 feet of snow reported.

But some Danes took it all in stride, and skied down the streets.

The Danish parliament canceled its working session Tuesday since too many legislators in Jutland were unlikely to make it through the snow to Copenhagen.

Train traffic in most of the peninsula was disrupted. Some domestic flights in Denmark were canceled.

Both Dutch and Danish authorities asked commuters to stay home.

In southern Sweden, heavy snow blocked railroad tracks, and some passengers were reported stranded for hours.

In southern Germany, heavy snow broke off tree limbs like match sticks, ripping down power lines and blocking roads in some districts.