Heavy snow in Poland leaves drivers stranded ahead of New Year's celebrations

Mobility became challenging after Poland was blanketed with heavy snow ahead of New Year celebrations.

Reuters reported that heavy snowfall in Poland caused tailbacks stretching as far as 20 km (12.43 miles) on a motorway between the capital, Warsaw, and the Baltic port city of Gdansk during the night on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

The situation left hundreds of people trapped in their cars in freezing conditions by the early hours of Wednesday morning.

"The difficult situation began yesterday after 4 p.m., when the first trucks on the S7 route began having trouble approaching the slopes," said Tomasz Markowski, a spokesperson for police in the northern city of Olsztyn."This led to a traffic jam stretching approximately 20 kilometers overnight."

Severe winter conditions have tightened their grip on Poland, causing travel chaos ahead of New Year’s Eve and the situation remains critical in the northern region of Warmia-Masuria, where heavy snowfall has led to several road closures and left over 1,600 residents without power.

Additionally, a third-degree warning for heavy snow is in place for western and eastern regions across the country.

Deputy State Minister Stanislaw Bukowiec informed that no life-threatening situation has been observed yet, while there has been some disruption to railway and airport operations due to snow.