Fairytale or Nightmare?
By Christian Merola | News | January 14, 2026
Cover Illustration: Flight departures board, 06/01/2026. Elisa Veletta
Christian Merola reports on the snow that struck the Netherlands, leaving the country unprepared to face its consequences.
What happens when it snows in Amsterdam? The houses get covered by a blanket of snow, the canals freeze, and… the airport (partially) shuts down, leaving many international students stranded abroad. As Storm Goretti continues to bring cold and snow to Europe, some countries such as the Netherlands were less prepared than others. Since Saturday, January 3, 2026, around 15 centimeters of snow has fallen. While that would seem like nothing in most Nordic countries, it was enough to put the Dutch nation in serious trouble, especially its airport. A total of 3,500 flights departing from and arriving at Schiphol Airport were canceled due to weather conditions, affecting over 300,000 passengers. Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in Europe, serving as a central layover hub for many international flights and attracting almost 70 million passengers annually.
The reasons behind such a disaster can be attributed to a combination of factors. The first and foremost reason is that below-zero temperatures cause ice to form on the wings of aeroplanes. This makes it very dangerous for the aircraft to fly, as ice disrupts the airflow around the wings, which could cause a crash. The second reason is directly tied to the first one. As warned by KLM on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the supply of de-icing fluid was running low, meaning not all aircraft could be defrosted on time for their departures. What made the situation even more difficult is that KLM is responsible not only for de-icing its own aircraft but also for most of the other companies’ aeroplanes.
Among the thousands of passengers affected by the flight cancellations, several international students were trying to get back to Amsterdam after their winter holidays. Maria Clara, a 2nd-year Communication Science student at the University of Amsterdam, found herself stranded in Istanbul, Turkey after her connecting flight from Bahrain was canceled. “The next available flight was on Thursday [January 8, 2026], so I stayed in a hotel alone, waiting,” she said. A similar situation happened to Christian, a 3rd-year UvA student in the same major as Maria Clara. While at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on his way back from Zanzibar, Tanzania, his connecting flight to Amsterdam was canceled right before boarding. He had to spend two nights in a hotel with his family and friends before he could return to Amsterdam on Thursday, January 8, 2026. However, his family ended up booking a new flight because they refused to pass through the Dutch capital on their way back to Italy, fearing they would be stranded at Schiphol. A bit luckier were those who could spend a few more days at home. Teresa, a 3rd-year European Studies student at the UvA, while still frustrated by the situation, acknowledged that “at least” she was “stuck” at home in Portugal, surrounded by her family.
Responses from the UvA to the situation were mixed. Since public transport was also affected by the severe weather, many classes were moved online to accommodate students who might be having issues reaching their campus. On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, for example, all trains across the country were canceled until 10 a.m. due to an IT failure caused by the snow. However, many students, especially those trapped abroad, complained about the university’s lack of support, as UvA did not excuse their absences from in-person classes that continued. When they reached out to their study advisors to inform them of their situation, they were simply told to speak with their respective course coordinators.
Due to climate change, extreme weather events like what we just went through are likely to recur. This raises an important question: will they serve as a learning experience for the Dutch government—and the UvA—to be better prepared for when snow strikes again?
Christian Merola is a university student in Amsterdam. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Amsterdammer.
