Road conditions - Definitions

Easily passable: Non-slippery road surface or at least one wheel track free of ice in each lane and so little snow and ice on other parts of the road that drivers are not in danger.

Spots of ice: Slippery road surface with ice or packed snow up to 20% of the stretch of road in question.

Slippery: Slippery road surface covered with hard ice or snow on more than 20% of the stretch of road in question.

Extremely slippery: Ice glaze (transparent sheet of ice) or road surface covered with wet ice or wet packed snow on more than 20% of the stretch of road in question.

Wet snow/snow: Road surface partially or completely covered with an up to 10 cm thick layer of ice or wet or loosely packed snow.

Difficult driving: Road surface partially or completely covered with a 10-20 cm layer of loose or lightly packed snow and/or occasional small snow drifts and road conditions unsafe for all except vehicles with four-wheel drive.

Difficult road conditions: Road surface covered with snow more than 20 cm thick and/or occasional snow drifts. Road conditions unsafe except for jeeps and larger vehicles.

Impassable: Snow cover thick enough to make road impassable for normal vehicles. This description is also valid when a road is impassable for other reasons, such as landslides, water floods etc.

Axle weight/total weight 10t and 7t/5t/2t: Limitations on the weight of vehicles (indicated by axle weight sign B18.xx)

Road repairs: Road repairs/bridge maintenance. Road conditions requiring special caution on the part of motorists (indicated by road repair sign A17.11)

Uneven road: Uneven road or stretch of road requiring special action on the part of motorists (indicated by road condition wave sign A20.11)

Flying gravel: Road surface or stretch of road with gravel and danger of flying gravel (indicated by flying gravel sign A22.11)

No passage for motor vehicles: Road is closed for traffic, primarily to avoid road damage during the seasonal thawing period, or for other preventive reasons (indicated by the no vehicles sign B01.11)

Definitions of conditions

Storm conditions: Wind speed 19 m/sec (fresh gale, 37 knots) or more, or gusts of wind in excess of 26 m/sec (51 knots).

Snowfall: Snowfall to such a degree that road view is partially obstructed and/or danger of conditions worsening within the next few hours.

Blowing/shifting snow: Loose snow and wind force more than 11 m/sec (fresh breeze, 18 knots) with blowing snow partially obstructing road view and/or danger of road conditions deteriorating within the next few hours.

Blizzard: Wind force 16 m/sec (moderate gale, 30 knots) or more and snowfall, difficult traveling weather, considerable danger of road conditions worsening at short notice.

Snowshowers: Within the snowshowers the visibility may be very poor due to considerable snowfall but much better visibility in between.

Fog: Heavy fog with obstructed vision. In the interest of traffic safety motorists are advised to proceed with caution.

Opening of road for traffic/Snow clearance: Snow being cleared.

Passable with mountain vehicles: This indication is only used when mountain roads and tracks (Sprengisandsleið, road to Laki etc.) have been opened and on roads where it is not advisable to drive normal vehicles.

Not known: No information on road conditions available.