A yellow code for significant snowfall is in effect for 14 counties of Romania, the National Meteorological Administration informs. The bad weather warning applies to Karash-Severin, Hunedoara, Alba, Sibiu, Brasov, Covasna, Vranca, Buzau, Prahova, Dumbovica, Arges, Valca, Gorz and Mehedinc. A significant snow cover is expected to accumulate mainly in the Southern Carpathians, writes BTA.
Snow has already accumulated in the counties of Gorges and Hunedoara. Road workers have had the machines out since last night to clear the roads. Local authorities are warning drivers not to go out without winter tires.
Snow fell last night also on the Transalpina, known as the road that reaches the highest altitude in Romania: 2145 meters. Workers from the National Road Department of Targu Jiu intervened with snow removal equipment.
Transalpina is much loved by tourists from all over the world who come every year to admire the beautiful mountain scenery. Traffic on it was due to open from May 1, for the Easter weekend, but bad weather scuppered those plans. Accommodation owners in the area have launched an online petition demanding that traffic on the Transalpina be restored by May 1, 2024, the “Adeverul” newspaper reports.
“Is Easter coming or Christmas”, Romanians wrote en masse on social networks. Local media recall that the last snowy Easter was in 1996, when 11 cm of snow accumulated in Bucharest and 44 cm in Brasov.