Severe Snow and Deep Frost Grip Southern Poland

The news in Polish

1. IMGW  (n.)
   skrót od Instytut Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej, instytucja, która prognozuje i opisuje pogodę ↩︎
2. ostrzegać
   mówi komuś o możliwym niebezpieczeństwie, żeby ta osoba była ostrożna ↩︎
3. warunek  (m.)
   okoliczności lub sytuacja, w jakiej coś się dzieje ↩︎
4. śliski
   taki, po czym łatwo się poślizgnąć, bo jest gładkie lub mokre ↩︎
5. służba  (f.)
   instytucje lub grupy ludzi, które wykonują ważne zadania dla społeczeństwa, np. policja, straż pożarna ↩︎
6. ostrożny
   uważny, robiący coś spokojnie, żeby nie było wypadku lub problemu ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What is the temperature in some places in Poland now?

Question 2: Why do drivers and pedestrians need to be very careful?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
IMGW  (n.)	IMGW (Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management)
ostrzegać	to warn
warunek  (m.)	condition
śliski	slippery
służba  (f.)	service, services (public services)
ostrożny	careful

Read the full story

Poland is facing a spell of intense snowfall and severe frost, with meteorologists and road authorities warning of difficult travel conditions, especially in the southern regions of the country.

The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) has issued a series of level-one weather alerts – the lowest in a three-step scale, but still signalling potentially dangerous conditions. The alerts concern mainly five provinces in the south of Poland: Opolskie, Śląskie (Silesia), Małopolskie (Lesser Poland), Świętokrzyskie and Podkarpackie, and are linked to heavy snow and ice.

According to IMGW, in these areas snowfall of 5 to 10 centimetres is expected, and in some places even up to 15 centimetres. In parts of southern Silesia, Małopolska, Podkarpacie and southern Lubelszczyzna, snow is forecast to fall at times with moderate or strong intensity, leading to a rapid increase in snow cover. In addition, in parts of southern Małopolska, rain and sleet are expected to turn into snow while the temperature drops below zero, creating dangerous ice on roads and pavements.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to remain well below freezing in most of the country. IMGW predicts a maximum temperature of around -12°C in the north-east, between -7°C and -4°C in many other regions, and close to 0°C in the far west. During the night from Sunday to Monday, conditions are expected to worsen further. Minimum temperatures could drop to about -22°C in the north-east, around -15°C in central Poland and in some foothill areas of Silesia and Małopolska, and from -10°C to -5°C in the south and west.

Meteorologists describe this period as a return of full winter. After a short phase of slightly milder air, the country is now entering several days of very cold nights, in some regions down to around -20°C, and frosty days even in central and northern areas. This pattern is likely to continue into the middle of next week, with the possibility of another temporary rise in temperatures later, but further cold spells and snow are not excluded.

The difficult weather is already affecting transport and road safety. The General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) reports that, despite the snow, all main national roads remain passable, but many of them are covered with slush and snow, and local slipperiness is common. Regional branches of GDDKiA in cities such as Rzeszów, Kielce, Kraków and Lublin report intensive work by winter maintenance services.

In the Podkarpackie region around Rzeszów, road crews made over 160 night runs with snowploughs and gritters, using more than 600 tonnes of road salt. In the Świętokrzyskie region, plough-salt vehicles carried out almost 150 operations overnight. Around Kraków, there were over 300 night interventions, with close to 900 tonnes of salt spread on the roads. In the Lublin region, more than 50 snowplough-gritters were working on Sunday morning, and road authorities warned drivers that it could be very slippery.

Despite these efforts, several areas are reporting local difficulties. GDDKiA mentions slush on key routes such as parts of the A4 and S19 motorways and national roads like DK9 and DK77 in the south-east. In the north and north-east, including the Warmińsko-Mazurskie region, there are reports of ice and slush on sections of national roads DK16, DK59 and DK63, while fog is further reducing visibility in parts of Silesia.

The weather is also affecting public transport. In Kraków and surrounding towns, the municipal transport operator announced shortened or altered routes on some bus lines due to difficult road conditions. City authorities stated that winter road and pavement maintenance equipment was already working from Saturday evening, with around 260 vehicles on duty in the streets and on walkways.

Both IMGW and GDDKiA are urging residents and travellers to exercise caution. Drivers are being warned to adapt their speed to the conditions, prepare for longer travel times, and be aware of possible sudden icing where melted snow refreezes. Pedestrians are advised to be careful on pavements, which may be covered by a thin, hard-to-see layer of ice.

For people outside Poland, these developments illustrate how winter weather can quickly become a national issue. Services such as IMGW and GDDKiA play a key role in issuing early warnings, coordinating road clearing, and informing the public. Authorities emphasise that, although the alerts are at the lowest level, the combination of heavy snow, strong frost and ice can still be dangerous, particularly at night and early in the morning.

Info: ‘Polish Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Polish’, a Polish language school that offers various types of online courses for learners of different levels. We provide structured lessons and practice materials to help students develop their Polish language skills in a flexible online format.