Storm Goretti causes flight cancellations and heavy snow across Czechia

UPDATED, 8 p.m. Seventeen flights from Prague were cancelled, including three to Paris, two to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Warsaw, the airport said on its website at 6 p.m. However, it did not say whether all flights were canceled due to weather conditions. Trams are not running between Namesti Miru and Vrsovice, and tram service on Vinohradska Street in the broader city center has been halted due to stuck trucks.

Public transport is also facing problems in other hilly areas. Its passengers must expect delays, as tram switches are blocked by snow in some places and cars have got stuck on the tracks in others. Some suburban bus lines have been shortened as well.

UPDATED, Jan. 9, 5 p.m. A band of intense snowfall has swept across the Czech Republic, starting in western Bohemia and moving northeast, causing widespread traffic disruptions and accidents. In Prague, snow slowed trams, buses, and road traffic, while road crews and PSAS waste collection teams work to keep streets passable. Highway D5 is now fully reopened after morning closures. The Krkonoše Mountains remain under avalanche warnings, and city parks enforce designated sledding areas to protect greenery.

Prague’s Václav Havel Airport saw multiple flight disruptions on Friday as heavy snow swept across the country. As of 5 p.m., at least six confirmed departures had been cancelled, including flights to Warsaw, Paris, Frankfurt, Braunschweig, and Yerevan. Another three flights were delayed, with passengers advised to check the “next info” status for updated departure times.

Airport authorities urged travelers to allow extra time for check-in and to expect ongoing delays as crews work to clear runways and roads leading to the terminals. Live flight information is here.

Storm Goretti, a powerful winter system sweeping across Europe, is disrupting travel and bringing heavy snow to Czechia today, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.

While the storm’s hurricane-force winds are battering the Atlantic coast, Central Europe is facing the cold side of the system, resulting in significant snowfall and dangerous ice.

Václav Havel Airport (PRG) reports multiple flight cancellations and delays due to ripple effects from hubs in Amsterdam, Paris, and London.

Flight tracking confirms that flights to Amsterdam, London, and Vienna have been cancelled, while Smartwings routes to Warsaw and Budapest are facing weather-related delays.

Departures to London Luton and Stansted are running 1–2 hours late due to de-icing delays, and Paris flights are facing cascading delays due to a 40 percent capacity reduction at CDG, ordered by French authorities.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMÚ) reported that a zone of intense snowfall is moving northeast from Bavaria. Snowfall rates have reached three centimeters per hour in western and central regions.

While the Vysočina and South Bohemian regions are seeing roughly 10 cm, western and central regions (including Prague) are bracing for up to 15 centimeters.

In Prague, temperatures are expected to peak at -3°C today before plummeting to a frigid -14°C overnight. Public transport is operating on a winter schedule with longer intervals for trams and buses. Municipal crews are treating major arteries, but authorities warn that today’s slush will turn into dangerous black ice by Saturday morning.

Heavy snowfall in Prague and the surrounding areas is causing widespread delays across public transport and roads.

Buses, trolleybuses, and some tram lines are running late or on diverted routes, while key motorways, including the D6, D5, and D7, are experiencing heavy congestion or closures.

Police report dozens of weather-related accidents across Bohemia, and further disruptions are expected throughout the day.

Due to the snow, tram lines 4 and 22 are also running on a diversion via Koh-i-noor, Bohemians, Otakarova, Pod Karlovem, Bruselská, IP Pavlova, and further along their regular route. See all emergency traffic restrictions here.

Traffic is slowing significantly across the Pilsen, Karlovy Vary, and Central Bohemian regions. Emergency services have already responded to several accidents, including a collision between a car and an ambulance in Klatovy caused by icy conditions.

Storm Goretti is contributing to hazardous conditions Europe-wide, with snow and frost complicating rail travel in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. Airport staff advise all passengers to check live flight boards before heading to the airport.

An exceptional weather warning is in effect in southwest England, affecting around half a million people. The storm is expected to reach Belgium and the Netherlands on Friday, prompting warnings of flight delays and cancellations.

Germany and Poland are preparing for worsening road and rail conditions, with Poland even using horses to monitor border areas.