Six Killed as Heavy Snowfall Disrupts Europe, Hundreds of Flights Cancelled

Paris/Sarajevo, Jan 7, 2026 — At least six people have died across Europe after heavy snowfall and severe winter weather disrupted daily life and air travel, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights, the BBC reported.
Five of the fatalities were reported in France, where icy roads caused vehicles to skid and crash. The sixth death occurred in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where a tree collapsed onto a car during the storm.
In addition to snowfall, several Balkan countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, have been experiencing heavy rainfall, compounding weather-related risks.
France’s Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said in a statement on Tuesday that snow is expected to continue for several more days, citing the national meteorological service. He urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and advised businesses to allow employees to work from home where possible. Authorities have issued an orange weather alert for snow in 38 of France’s 96 mainland departments.
The severe conditions have caused major disruptions to air travel. Paris’s main airport, Roissy–Charles de Gaulle, cancelled 40 percent of its scheduled flights on Tuesday. On the same day, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport cancelled more than 400 flights due to snow and icy runways.
Thousands of passengers were left stranded at airports across Europe. Javier Sepulveda, a Spanish national travelling from Amsterdam to Norway, told Reuters that the situation at Schiphol had become chaotic.
“The atmosphere is noisy, frustrating and tense because of the anxiety among stranded passengers,” he said.
Authorities across the region have warned that further disruptions are likely if severe weather conditions persist.