The first (melting) snowfall in the Brussels-Capital Region early this morning means that the roads in the city and the rest of Belgium might be slippery on Thursday morning.
Due to the weather conditions, the morning rush across the country is much more difficult than usual, with more than 500 kilometres of traffic jams at 8am on Thursday morning.
The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) issued a code yellow warning for icy conditions in Brussels, most of Flanders and several Walloon provinces.
There is also a chance of more (wintry) showers in the centre and the west of the country. Locally, a layer of snow of 1 to 5 centimetres deep is even possible – even though it is expected to melt again fairly quickly.
First gritting of the season
In Brussels, the first preventative gritting session of the winter took place to ensure the safety of road users, Brussels Mobility announced.
Brussels Mobility grits all Brussels regional roads: main roads, major intersections, tunnels, and viaducts – an 800 km road network, which is covered in 3.5 hours, spread over 17 rounds. One full gritting session requires 85 tonnes of salt.
"Brussels Mobility currently has 3,000 tonnes of salt in its storage facilities. Our teams and equipment are ready to respond," said Sarah Vanschoenbeek, head of the Roads Agency, in a press release. "We recently replaced several gritting buckets to ensure smooth operation on all our rounds."
Drivers driving behind a gritting vehicle can ensure the gritting is carried out safely by remaining patient, maintaining a safe distance, not honking, and not attempting to overtake the gritter.
Snow gritter. Credit: Brussels Mobility
In addition to the 17 major gritting rounds for the roads, 18 additional rounds are also carried out to clear snow from cycle paths. This number is increased annually to include the new cycling facilities.
Bicycle paths are gritted with smaller machines that can quickly and efficiently clear snow using a special type of salt. Brussels Mobility aims to encourage cyclists to continue cycling in winter.
"For pedestrian safety, the general rule is that residents are responsible for keeping the sidewalk in front of their homes clear of snow and ice. In larger buildings, this task is usually entrusted to the ground-floor resident, the caretaker, or the property manager."
❄️ La #Belgique est en proie à des averses de #neige ce matin du jeudi 20 novembre 2025, tenant parfois au sol. La région de #Bruxelles est concernée, ici #Etterbeek. (photo Rima Bacjaji) pic.twitter.com/bRBVGPXmqf
— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) November 20, 2025
Tweet translation: "Belgium is experiencing snow showers this Thursday morning of November 20, 2025, sometimes sticking to the ground. The Brussels region is affected, here in Etterbeek."
For the rest of the day, temperatures will fluctuate between -1°C and 5°C. The evening will remain partly cloudy with some snow showers in the Ardennes and rain or wintry showers elsewhere.
Friday will start mostly grey with a chance of freezing fog in some areas in the centre of the country. The low clouds may produce some snow locally, especially in the Ardennes. Towards noon, broad clear spells will develop in the north of the country, which will gradually spread out in the afternoon. Maximum temperatures will range between 0°C and 4°C.
