Snow is falling in this part of South Africa right NOW
· The South African
Snow has fallen on the R617 between Underberg and Swartberg in southern KwaZulu-Natal, prompting the provincial Department of Transport to activate its Snow Response Plan as road maintenance teams work to keep the route open.
The department confirmed on Thursday morning that graders have been deployed to clear the accumulating snow before it exceeds 30cm, while traffic officials continue monitoring conditions along the affected route.
Visit palladian.co.za for more information.
Exercise extreme caution
Motorists have been urged to exercise extreme caution, with authorities warning against unnecessary travel into snow-affected areas.
Department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya appealed to the public, including “snow chasers”, to avoid travelling to the region simply to experience the snowfall.
“We do not want snow chasers to move up and down,” Sibiya said.
He said the department is determined to avoid a repeat of the severe snowfall in September 2024, when around 1 800 vehicles became stranded and the N3 near Van Reenen’s Pass was closed for an extended period.
System is clearing
The latest snowfall follows a week of severe winter weather caused by a cut-off low pressure system, which brought heavy rain and snow to parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
The South African Weather Service has indicated that the system is clearing, with weather conditions expected to improve from Thursday into the weekend, although cold temperatures will persist in the southern Drakensberg and Lesotho border regions.
Forecasters say Underberg will remain cold through Thursday before temperatures gradually recover over the weekend, although overnight frost is expected to continue.
Motorists travelling through high-lying areas are encouraged to check the latest road conditions before setting out and to postpone non-essential travel if conditions deteriorate.
VIDEO | The coldest town in South Africa has something even better than snow