Snowfall blankets Prague and parts of Czechia, though brings disruption

Snowfall and sub-zero temperatures caused major transport disruptions across Prague Monday morning, with frozen rail switches, stranded buses, and long motorway delays as a cold, snowy front moved across Czechia overnight.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) warns that freezing rain may hit the southeastern half of the country by Monday evening, creating widespread ice.

In Prague, up to 5 centimeters of new snow accumulated in the early hours of Monday, prompting Prague Integrated Transport (PID) to halt some services. 

“Snow has been complicating traffic in Prague and the Central Bohemian Region since morning. The problems are mainly in the north and east. In Prague, buses do not run to Suchdol,” PID said on X.

Frozen switches also stopped trains between Smíchov and Radotín for nearly two hours before operations resumed around 7 a.m. 

Public transport delays were also reported in the Central Bohemian region, where several bus routes were reduced or suspended due to icy roads.

Road transport was similarly affected. Multiple truck crashes and blocked climbs shut down sections of the D1, with ŘSD reporting delays of up to two hours from Jihlava toward Prague. Ice was also reported on the D8 between kilometers 7 and 14.

Drivers can check the government’s official traffic portal—handily available in English—for the latest updates on holdups or closures.

Prague and much of central Czechia can expect continued cold and unsettled conditions through Wednesday. Snowfall will remain intermittent, with 10-15 centimeters possible at lower altitudes and heavier wet snow (up to 20 centimeters) in parts of Moravia and Silesia. 

The ČHMÚ has issued a low-level warning for ice in large parts of central and southern Czechia. Temperatures in Prague will hover around 0 to 2 °C during the day, dipping to -1 degrees Celsius at night, while mountain regions like Šumava may experience lows down to -25 degrees Celsius.

A ridge of high pressure from Thursday should bring calmer conditions, daytime highs around 0 to 2 degrees, and widespread lowland fog as inversion layers form. 

Temperatures in the capital are set to stay close to freezing all week, with daytime highs of -2 degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday.