Snow showers persisted overnight and on Sunday morning in an area stretching from the north-west all the way to the south-east, dumping as much as 50 centimetres of snow on top of an already thick blanket on the ground from the previous days. Only the north-east was spared.
In the capital, Ljubljana, around 25 centimetres of snow fell overnight and a few centimetres during the day.
The southern town of Kočevje, traditionally one of the most snowy parts of the country, meanwhile received around 30 centimetres to raise the blanket there to around 1.2 metres, according to representative of winter services in Novo mesto, Anton Hrastar.
In the nearby town of Ribnica, the roof of the plant of machinery company Riko Ribnica collapsed under the weight of the snow, causing extensive damage, the company said. Ironically, Riko Ribnica is a leading producer of heavy equipment for snow ploughs.
In another incident, the roof of a storage facility of camp
er and caravan maker Adria Mobil, which was equipped with a solar power plant, was also brought down by the snow in the city of Novo mesto (SE).
Apart from the 11,000 sq. metre solar plant, a number of finished vehicles were damaged when the roof caved in, the company told the STA.
Meanwhile, winter crews had difficulty keeping regional and local roads passable and many local roads in Slovenia were closed during the day, although motorways were sufficiently clear for cars to pass.
A number of avalanches closed the Idrija-Idrijska Bela regional road in northwestern Slovenia. One reportedly buried two cars, whose owners were helped by local fire crews.
In another accident near Ljubno in central Slovenia, a tractor driver was killed when his vehicle slid off the road and was buried by snow, Celje police said.
The national traffic information centre called on motorists not to embark on journeys without proper winter equipment.
A warm snap on Monday could see a significant thinning of the snow blanket, although forecasts indicate that there could be new snow in parts of the country as early as Tuesday afternoon.
Source: SloveniaTimes
