The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and the national transport authority Traficom issued rare, nationwide 'poor' and 'very poor' road-weather warnings for Thursday, 26 February, after computer models converged on a vigorous Atlantic low tracking across the Gulf of Bothnia. Up to 15 cm of fresh snow is expected in southern and central regions, while the rain-snow boundary will briefly produce freezing rain that is notorious for turning runways and roads into skating rinks. Temperatures will then rise to just above 0 °C, creating a treacherous mix of slush and black ice.
Finnair and airport operator Finavia advised passengers departing Helsinki-Vantaa on Thursday morning to allow extra time for de-icing queues and to monitor SMS re-routing notices. Regional carrier DAT cancelled its first rotation between Kokkola-Pietarsaari and Helsinki; VR added two additional InterCity services to Tampere in anticipation of motorists switching to rail.
Should changing conditions force you to reroute through neighbouring countries or extend your stay, VisaHQ can quickly check whether your passport and any required visas remain in order, helping you avoid administrative hang-ups while the weather sorts itself out. Their Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) offers an instant eligibility lookup and express processing options, which can be invaluable when last-minute travel adjustments coincide with severe weather disruptions.
![Heavy snow and freezing drizzle set to snarl road, rail and flight schedules across Finland]()
The disruption coincides with the peak of Finland’s winter school-holiday exodus, when leisure traffic to Lapland typically jumps by a third. Tour operators reported that dozens of charter coaches heading north on the E75 would be re-timed overnight to avoid the worst of the snowfall. Logistics companies meanwhile warned that time-critical Just-in-Time deliveries from the Port of Turku to Swedish automotive plants could face delays of up to 24 hours if the ice glaze materialises.
For business travellers, the key message is preparedness: Traficom recommends keeping tyre chains in vehicles south of Oulu—a practice usually reserved for Lapland—while most insurance providers confirmed that temporary remote-working from holiday cottages would be covered under existing policies should roads become impassable. Employers with posted workers are urged to remind staff that ‘poor’ FMI warnings automatically lower the statutory driving-time limits for professional drivers by one hour under Finland’s tachograph rules.
The last time comparable nationwide warnings were issued was February 2022, when a similar warm-front intrusion triggered more than 300 road accidents and forced Finnair to divert eight wide-body jets. Authorities hope that early coordination between FMI, Traficom, Finavia and the police will mitigate a repeat of that chaos.
Finnair and airport operator Finavia advised passengers departing Helsinki-Vantaa on Thursday morning to allow extra time for de-icing queues and to monitor SMS re-routing notices. Regional carrier DAT cancelled its first rotation between Kokkola-Pietarsaari and Helsinki; VR added two additional InterCity services to Tampere in anticipation of motorists switching to rail.
Should changing conditions force you to reroute through neighbouring countries or extend your stay, VisaHQ can quickly check whether your passport and any required visas remain in order, helping you avoid administrative hang-ups while the weather sorts itself out. Their Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) offers an instant eligibility lookup and express processing options, which can be invaluable when last-minute travel adjustments coincide with severe weather disruptions.
The disruption coincides with the peak of Finland’s winter school-holiday exodus, when leisure traffic to Lapland typically jumps by a third. Tour operators reported that dozens of charter coaches heading north on the E75 would be re-timed overnight to avoid the worst of the snowfall. Logistics companies meanwhile warned that time-critical Just-in-Time deliveries from the Port of Turku to Swedish automotive plants could face delays of up to 24 hours if the ice glaze materialises.
For business travellers, the key message is preparedness: Traficom recommends keeping tyre chains in vehicles south of Oulu—a practice usually reserved for Lapland—while most insurance providers confirmed that temporary remote-working from holiday cottages would be covered under existing policies should roads become impassable. Employers with posted workers are urged to remind staff that ‘poor’ FMI warnings automatically lower the statutory driving-time limits for professional drivers by one hour under Finland’s tachograph rules.
The last time comparable nationwide warnings were issued was February 2022, when a similar warm-front intrusion triggered more than 300 road accidents and forced Finnair to divert eight wide-body jets. Authorities hope that early coordination between FMI, Traficom, Finavia and the police will mitigate a repeat of that chaos.
