Snow in SA today PHOTOS

Here's some pictures of snow in South Africa today...

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SNOW UPDATE: LONG-DISTANCE TRAINS CANCELLED   

Long-distance train services were cancelled on Tuesday due to poor weather, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) said.

All trains from Gauteng to Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal will be affected and will result in the cancellation of services.

The Trans Natal, between Johannesburg and Durban, and the Amatola, between Johannesburg and East London, would not run on Tuesday.

“All customers currently en-route on Mainline Passenger Services  trains will be cared for and provided with food and drinks until the services are restored. Alternative transport arrangements will also not be possible since the roads to these provinces are also closed,” Prasa said.

Customers can contact 086000-8888 for updates.

ROADS CLOSED, MOTORISTS TRAPPED

Eastern Cape motorists were warned of many road closures and dangerous driving conditions caused by snowfall on Tuesday.

Several motorists were already trapped in snow or stuck on closed roads, Eastern Cape local government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyana said in a statement.

“It is snowing heavily and very dangerous between Ugie and Elliot, some motorists are already stuck [in the snow].

“People are stuck in their vehicles on the road from Elliot to Indwe, Ngcobo to Cala, [and in] Satansnek...

“I appeal that all those using roads should be extra vigilant as  roads are wet with the snow closing some of the lines, some trees are falling on the roads, availing only one lane for travelling.

“Travellers should put their plans on hold until roads are cleared,”  said Qoboshiyana.

The following roads were closed in the Eastern Cape:

   — R56 between Matatiele and Mount Fletcher     — R56 in Kokstad, Maluti     — N2 between Kokstad and Mount Ayliff     — Wapadsberg and Lootsberg passes     — N10 from Middelburg to Bloemfontein all closed    — All roads leading to Dordrecht, except Queenstown via Lady Frere    — Boesmanshoek between Queenstown and Molteno    — Roads between Elliot and Indwe and Ngcobo and Cala    — N10 between Middelburg and Murraysburg    — Road between Middelburg and Colesberg    — N9 between Middelburg and De Aar    — Road between Cradock to Graaff Reinet    — R56 between Cala and Elliot closed    — R58 between Ngcobo and Elliot    — R67 in Fort Beaufort, Seymour, Cathcart    — R351 between Cathcart and Whittlesea    — Barkly pass on R58 between Elliot and Barkly East    — R56 between Mount Fletcher, Maclear and Matatiele    — N2 between Kokstad and Mount Aylif closed    Elsewhere in the country, the N3 highway between Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal has been closed from the Wilge toll plaza near Villiers to the Tugela toll plaza at Ladsymith. 

FROSTY IN HARRISMITH   

Frosty the Snowman made several appearances at Harrismith’s town  centre on Tuesday, as families gathered to create a South African version of the “jolly happy soul”.

Resembling the scene of an American Christmas movie, many children began rolling up huge snow balls for the bodies of the snowmen.

But instead of the “corn cob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made of coal”, these frosties wore South African Springbok scarves and beanies.

“There’s no work today, we don’t have power, so we are out here to play with the kids,” resident Suzette Brits said.

Their big-bellied snowman wore two horns on its head, symbolising the Blue Bulls rugby team they supported.

“It took us 20 minutes to make this snow man,” she said.

Youngsters were spotted throwing snowballs at each other.

Another set of town dwellers were trying to make an igloo. “Snowmen are just so over-rated,” one of them said.

The tiny Free State town was under a blanket of snow after heavy falls overnight.

The unusual weather caused the closure of a long stretch of the N3 highway, between Van Reenens Pass and Villiers.

This left many travellers moving between KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on Monday having to seek accommodation in Harrismith, a halfway spot, overnight.

Petrol stations and stores were running on generators as the town was also hit by an electricity cut. 

“Nobody must even think of venturing out on the roads,” said Dries van Niekerk, owner of Dries Auto.

“Today is a day to stay indoors and drink Gluhwein" (warm red wine with spices).

He said this was the worst snow storm since 1992.

Van Niekerk was speaking from the town council’s emergency services.

He said: “We had cowboys, out of towners, who decided to drive down the road  into the valley during that snow storm. And the next thing, we received a few hours later, was an emergency call to say they were dying".

He said emergency services with the help of the army were then tasked with the rescue.

“You can lose yourself in weather like this. We recorded 3cm of snow last night.”

Snow draped surrounding mountains in white, while cattle were seen grazing in a nearby field by a frozen lake.

Truckers and other motorists were lined up just before the N3 offramp.

“We are stuck here,” one motorist shouted.  “I have to get to the highway.” There was no way of her being able to, as police closely monitored the off ramp, buzzing sirens as one or two drivers tried to sneak by.

A policeman tasked to spend his 12-hour shift at the turn off to Phuthaditjhaba (QwaQwa), said he came prepared “with the right stuff for the weather”.

“I’ve got my supplies, my lunch, my sweet stuff for the cold.”

He said police had no idea when roads would be opened.

“The weather services said this would go on for three days.”

He said there were motorists who tried to pass by the police, but they were sternly told to turn around.

According to residents, the snow fall was an estimated 6cm which had fallen swiftly over the area with breaks of drizzle.