Strong winds and snowfall in the western half of the island!

Weather and conditions on the main roads:
There are ongoing strong winds and snowfall in the western half of the island today which are expected to last until tomorrow morning. Roads are still slippery outside of the capital at this time.

Öræfajökull Volcano:
There are currently no signs that an eruption is imminent however, The Icelandic Meteorological Office still has the aviation colour code of the volcano listed as yellow. This situation does not currently have an affect on travel.

Conditions in the highlands:
Highland roads are now all closed/impassible for unmodified vehicles! It doesn‘t take a lot of snow to make it difficult staying on these roads! It‘s important to be properly equipped for winter – especially those heading for hikes and camping!

Conditions in popular tourist sites:
This time of the year the conditions vary a lot on the weather. Trails are now icy in most parts of Iceland, even on lowlands so we recommend bringing minor crampons along ALWAYS, regardless of location! These essentials shouldn’t cost more than 3.000-4.000 ISK and make all the difference when exploring Icelandic sites during winter.

Reykjanes: The road to Gunnuhver is in poor condition.

Þingvellir: Roads are slippery. Trails are icy but they are sanded. Signs indicating slippery conditions where they don’t manage to sand. The path up to the waterfall Öxárfoss is closed due to excess ice.

Geysir og Gullfoss: The area around Geysir is extremely slippery at the moment. Some areas around Geysir have been closed due to excessive ice. Stay in the marked areas only! The lower trail towards Gullfoss is closed due to ice for the winter! Crampons are HIGHLY recommended in both areas.

Hraunfossar og Deildartunguhver: It is snowing in the area and visibility is poor today. Roads are slippery.

Snæfellsjökull National Park: Slippery on both roads and walking paths! Road over Jökulháls is closed (no. 570 and 571).

South Westfjords: The road to Látrabjarg and to Rauðisandur are difficult! Road 60 and 63 are impassable over the Þingeyri mountain pass and on towards Bildudalur. Roads are generally slippery.
Hvítserkur: Blizzard in the area today. The road to Hvítserkur from the road 711 is closed and will remain so until spring. To reach the rock formation viewing area you will have to park your car and walk 10 minutes from the 711. The trail is very icy at this time and crampons are highly recommended.
Goðafoss: Lots of snow in the area!

Dettifoss og Selfoss: Road 862 to Dettifoss is open but slippery and road 864 is closed.

Hengifoss: Trail is icy with snow on top.

Reynisfjara: The beach can always be dangerous due to the unpredictability of the waves. It‘s not every wave – it‘s every 7th or 10th or 12th wave that goes a lot further up the beach than the rest making it difficult to assess danger upon arrival. There are no rocks in the ocean that break the waves and only a few meters of shore there‘s an underwater cliff so the pulling factor of these already powerful waves becomes even greater. On top of this the sand is very fine ash which makes it extra difficult to get awa from these waves.
Same applies to Djúpalónssandur in Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Kirkjufjara beach but it‘s CLOSED for this reason

Skógafoss: The road leading to the waterfall is very icy as is the area around the waterfall. The staricase has icy steps that get worse with elevation gain!

Seljalandsfoss: The walking path behind the waterfall is closed due to ice. Crampons are recommended in the area.

Þórsmörk/Goðaland: Closed/impassible for those not in a modified vehicle! There are VERY difficult river crossing conditions at this time; experience needed to cross! Húsadalur will be staffed throughout the winter but all other huts are vacant.

Vestmannaeyjar: Roads and side walks are a bit slippery at this time. Sailings over the holidays are departing from Þorlákshöfn. Information on where the ferry sails to can be found on www.seatours.is (top of website)

Landmannalaugar: Roads closed/impassible for those NOT in a modified vehicle! There is lots of snow in the area now (about 1.5m deep) and it is still very difficult for vehicles to travel here.

Conditions on hiking trails:
Hiking during winter time requires proper equipment even on shorter hikes. Please study our equipment list as preparation is key for successful travel in Iceland. Winter has arrived in most areas in Iceland so we recommend having minor crampons with you at all time.

Esjan: Must not be underestimated! Considerably colder up top than by the roots. Warm clothing is a must! Crampons highly recommended. Mountain crampons needed to go beyond Steinn as snow and ice are along that climb.

Skaftafell: Roads are slippery. Trails are now VERY icy – crampons and hiking poles highly recommended. S4 (Kristínartindar) not recommended without a guide or proper equipment. S3 (Skaftafellsheiði) is now slippery and under some snow so crampons and gaiters recommended! The trail to the glacier has been sanded so this the only option recommended for people without crampons. Also keep in mind limited daylight when selecting a trail.

Reykjadalur: Ice and snow. When snowing it’s important to follow the trail as it lies among risky geothermal areas and crampons are recommended.

Ásbyrgi: Roads and hiking trails are very slippery at this time.

Glymur: Ice on the trail and snow levels rise with elevation gain. Log over the river Botnsá has been removed so now hikers must either cross the river on foot, go up on the west side (not a good angle to see the waterfall) or take a longer hike over the old bridge along the hiking route “Leggjabrjótur”.

Avalanche conditions:
Those heading into the backcountry have to keep the following in mind! Moderate danger (level 2/5) in northern Westfjords and Tröllaskagi Peninsula. The snow pack may be unstable due to the fluctuations in temperature over the last few weeks. There are potentially weak layers higher up the mountains. Low danger (level 1/5) is in the Eastfjords.