WARNING! Motorists urged to avoid Van Reenen Pass due to snow and ice (VIDEOS)

Motorists have been urged to immediately postpone travel to the Van Reenen Pass region between the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal because of adverse weather conditions along the N3 Toll Route.

Parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Free State were blanketed with snowfall on Friday after a cut-off cold front ushered in wintery conditions.

On Thursday, the South African Weather Service issued orange level 6 and yellow level 2 warnings for disruptive snow over the north-eastern and central high ground of the Eastern Cape, the south-western high ground of the KwaZulu-Natal, and the Free State.

Postpone travel until further notice

Despite the beauty of the snow, the severe weather conditions prompted the N3 Toll Concession to appeal to all road users, including trucking operators, to suspend trips to the mountainous areas between the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal until further notice.

“Apart from snowfalls, the sudden drop in temperatures is also causing the formation of black ice,” the N3 Toll Concession warned on Friday evening.

ALSO READ: Weather update: Reports of snow in EC, KZN [VIDEOS]

“Road surfaces are slippery, and reports are being received of trucks losing traction, especially on the uphills along Van Reenen Pass.”

The N3 Toll Concession added that in the interest of safety, it is likely that further traffic management interventions and/or road closures may be implemented.

Motorists who experience problems or are in an emergency on the N3 Toll Route should contact the 24-hour N3 Helpline on 0800 63 43 57 or follow @N3Route on X.

Further possible road closures due to snow

The Gauteng Provincial JOC, a Gauteng Police Board initiative, also reported about heavy snowfall and extremely dangerous conditions on various routes outside of Gauteng, with some roads closed.

“Rescue services have been deployed to assist people stuck in the snow. With this weather set to continue overnight into tomorrow, we can expect further possible closures,” the Gauteng Provincial JOC said.

ALSO READ: Wild weekend weather forecast for Gauteng, possibility of snow in Joburg

People have been advised to reconsider travelling out of Gauteng until the conditions are better.

Vision Tactical added that the snowfall at Mooi River and Van Reenen is causing extremely low overnight temperatures in Gauteng.

“Our teams have completed their briefings, and an operational plan is in place to handle emergencies and maintain communication with emergency services,” Vision Tactical said.