The South African Weather Services (SAWS) have warned motorists of more potential snowfall starting this Sunday, 29 September, in the Western Cape (WC), Eastern Cape (EC), and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provinces.
This comes after the recent snowfall between 19 and 22 September that wreaked havoc on the roads of the Free State, EC, and KZN.
“Weather conditions are expected to change significantly as an upper trough system associated with a ridging high-pressure system at the surface will introduce significant cooling over the escarpment regions of South Africa (extending from the Western Cape, up to the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal),” said the SAWS.
Accordingly, daytime temperatures are expected to start cooling down over the WC from Sunday, 29 September 2024, reaching the EC and KZN regions by Monday, 30 September.
“The expected snowfall will follow a similar trend; starting in the Western Cape early on Sunday morning (29 September 2024), and spreading eastward towards KwaZulu-Natal Monday morning (30 September 2024),” said the SAWS.
“Snowfall is expected to clear up in the Western Cape and western parts of the Eastern Cape by Monday evening. Snowfall will, however, persist on Tuesday (1 October 2024) over the eastern parts of Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal.”
There will also be showers and rain in the south-western parts of the Western Cape as well as isolated showers and thundershowers over the western and central interior of the country from Saturday, 28 September 2024.
Additionally, strong to possible gale-force winds can be expected along the south coast from Sunday into Monday morning as the ridging high-pressure system moves through. Daily rainfall accumulation is not expected to exceed 30mm from 29 September until 1 October 2024.
“The ridging high-pressure system is ultimately expected to weaken and exit the country from Tuesday afternoon,” said the SAWS.
“Daytime temperatures are expected to recover quickly from Sunday into Monday across eastern South Africa.”
The entity calmed concerns by noting that the upcoming snow event will be significantly different from the one that occurred between 19 and 22 September, therefore, its impact is anticipated to be far less severe.
Prevention is better than cure
The KZN Transport Department has already made preparations for the awaited snowfall this weekend, establishing incident management teams on all notorious roads and areas identified in past experiences.
The department’s Road Traffic Inspectorate has also set up a satellite center on top of the Van Reenen Pass to ensure quick action and road closure to mitigate against motorists getting trapped in snow, which will start operating this Saturday afternoon on a 12-hour shift.
KZN traffic officers are already involved in the coordination of possible road closures and observation of major routes in consultation with the N3 Toll Concession. The focus is on N3 between Harrismith, Tugela Toll, R617 between Kokstad and Underberg, N2 Ingeli, and N3 Mooi River.
Furthermore, drivers of motor graders are on standby to remove any snow accumulating on the road with haste.
More than 10 graders will be stationed in identified routes to ensure fast response. In total, the department has 21 graders in its arsenal should conditions worsen.
“We wish to indicate that the team will also be responsible for escorting trucks and vehicles to ensure that there is no congestion on the road,” said the KZN Transport Department.
“However, members of the public and motorists are urged to reschedule or postpone their journeys in anticipation of any eventuality. Prevention is better than cure.”
The National Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) advises road users to heed the following advice with regard to driving on icy roads:
- Keep your lights and windshield clean.
- Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
- Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
- Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
- Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
- Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. Allow at least three times more space than usual from the car in front.
- Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel-drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.
- Don’t pass snow ploughs and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
- Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses, and infrequently travelled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
“The RTMC is warming motorists to exercise extreme caution when driving on icy road conditions,” said the entity.
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