Heavy snowfall has caused chaos on E22 between Oskarshamn and Mönsterås in Småland, where traffic is at a standstill and rescue vehicles are stuck. SMHI has issued orange warnings for up to 40 cm of snow in eastern Sweden, and authorities urge people to stay home. The chaos is worsened by fallen trees and ongoing snow cannons.
On the evening of January 2, 2026, eastern Småland was hit by storm Anna, leading to total traffic chaos on E22 between Mönsterås and Oskarshamn. Traffic came to a halt from 10 p.m., with several trees fallen across the road, including one that pulled down a power line. The rescue service reported that fire trucks and other vehicles were stuck in the deep snow, which reached half a meter in places.
"We have fire trucks stuck. We're out with tracked vehicles. It's total chaos," said Håkan Andersson, alarm and control operator at the rescue service.
Trafikverket, police, and rescue services worked at full strength overnight. A tracked vehicle was called in to assist, but snow and wind continued building drifts. "It's very chaotic right now. There's a lot of snow and traffic, so parts of the traffic are completely at a standstill," described alarm and control operator Sara at the Sydost rescue service.
SMHI's orange warnings covered large parts of Småland and Öland until Saturday morning, warning of 20–30 cm of wet and heavy snow. In Svealand, including Uppsala and Stockholm, the warning extended to Sunday midday with up to 40 cm of snow and risk of drifting. Similar chaos was reported on E18 in Karlskoga, where a truck blocked the road after an accident, with reopening not until Saturday morning.
Several affected individuals shared their frustration. Joline, stuck on E22 near Påskallavik, saw fire trucks, lorries, and buses at a standstill. Her partner fetched a tractor to pull their car free. Björn Eldståhl was in kilometer-long queues and urged others to avoid the roads.
Trafikverket issued a stark warning: "This is an extreme situation. You should absolutely not go out on the roads unless it's life-essential. Stay home!" said Magnus Alm at the press office. The authority positioned heavy tow trucks and tracked vehicles ahead of weekend return traffic but anticipated ongoing issues along the east coast from Sundsvall to Gotland.
