At about 10:55 local time, Warsaw’s emergency services began salting roads after a massive ice storm caused hundreds of collisions, vehicle roll‑overs, and traffic blockages across the city and surrounding areas.
First salting effort begins at 10:55
City services deployed 42 salt trucks to bridges, viaducts, and steep streets, covering 240 km of roads. Within hours, frost drift settled on roads and sidewalks, creating a thin, nearly invisible ice layer.
Escalation of icy conditions and extensive salting push
By 11:30, another 170 snowplows reached street level, operating on about 1,500 km of bus routes. The General Directorate of Roads, highway authorities, and district managers took over remaining stretches. The weather agency issued a first‑degree freezing‑rain warning, valid until 22:00.
Major traffic disruptions in Warsaw and suburbs
The Konotop junction, linking the S2, S8, and A2 motorways, experienced roughly ten crashes in a short period, blocking main lanes and connectors. Congestion also marked S2 between Konotop and Opacz from 12:50 to 15:10. In the suburbs, overturned cars, ditches, and multi‑vehicle collisions frequently halted traffic, requiring shuttle driving and repeated blockages.
Fatality on Gocław street and other off‑city incidents
At 13:16, a 73‑year‑old man died after slipping on a frozen balcony at Kordecki 11, falling through a railing onto the sidewalk. Emergency teams could not revive him, and police investigations continued into the evening. Separate incidents included a Toyota crashing into a school bus in Piastów at 16:30 and an eight‑car pile‑up on the S8 near Przewodowice at 13:10, injuring nine people—including five children—and halting traffic toward Warsaw.
Recovery and late‑night operations
By 15:00, many main thoroughfares were wet but not frozen, though smaller streets still posed slip risks. At 19:00, the city’s cleanup board redeployed 42 salt trucks to bridges, viaducts, and steep streets, covering another 240 km. Evening temperatures hovered around 0 °C, dipping to –1 °C, allowing re‑frosting to occur.