The self-employed truck driver Niclas Nordström experienced a harrowing 20 hours stuck in snow on Sweden’s E22 motorway on Wednesday and Thursday, describing the conditions as the worst he’s faced in his three-decade career.
Nordström, who has operated his own road freight business since the 1990s, initially believed that the blocked traffic would be cleared when he took the E22 on Wednesday. He soon realized his error, along with around 1,000 other drivers, when he became stranded near Linderöd around 1:45 PM.
“The cause of the jam had occurred much earlier, so I assumed the police had already redirected traffic,” the 58-year-old shared with The Local. “But in hindsight, I didn’t think it through enough. If there had been quicker decision-making, we wouldn’t have faced such extensive delays.”
As a blizzard swept through, approximately 1,000 vehicles were immobilized on the E22 between Hörby and Kristianstad. The Armed Forces were called in to assist stranded motorists by evacuating them and providing food and water supplies.
Although Nordström’s truck is a day cab—lacking a bed—he managed to sleep seated at the wheel. He felt fortunate compared to those in passenger vehicles. However, traveling from Lund in Skåne to Olofström in Blekinge, he found himself without food or medicine, relying on others for help.
“There were various people around me. I connected with a couple from Holland who helped me out the next day. I mentioned I was very hungry, and they invited me for coffee and a sandwich,” he recalled.
Throughout the night, he frequently checked the Swedish Transport Administration’s website for updates on the road reopening, only to see the estimated time continuously pushed back—from 8 PM to midnight, then to 2 AM, and finally to 2 PM the next day.
Ultimately, around 10 AM, with assistance from a local farmer, Nordström cleared a three-meter-wide path through the snow. Both he and the Dutchman drove against the flow of traffic—flashing their warning lights—until they reached a usable road. “We escaped through the opening by our own initiative; otherwise, we might still be stuck there,” he noted.
Having primarily driven in Skåne and Blekinge, Nordström had never encountered such severe snow conditions before. “In my 30 years of driving, I’ve never experienced anything like this. Such harsh weather hasn’t been seen in Skåne since 1979 when the entire region was buried in snow,” he stated.
