The Environment Agency said at midday Thursday that an area if precipitation will arrive from the southwest late in the evening, spreading northeast across the country overnight.

The lower temperatures seen recently mean this precipitation may fall as sleet or snow, and lead to slippery conditions.

This prompted the issuing of a Level 1 (Yellow) warning for the western half of the mainland Thursday, and for the whole of mainland Estonia today, Friday.

Rain is forecast in many places, with the lower temperatures on the mainland meaning this may fall as sleet and snow. Road and air temperatures will fall to around 0°C in inland areas.

"Up to 0.5–3 cm of wet snow may fall, creating a risk of slippery roads," the weather service warned.

The Transport Board asks road users to be careful in traffic, to familiarize themselves with the road conditions before starting a journey, to pick and maintain a speed appropriate to the driving and road conditions, and to maintain a greater distance from the vehicle in front than usual.

Before setting off, it is worth making sure that a vehicle is fully prepared for winter conditions, including brakes, lights and wipers being in working order.

While the legal deadline for switching to winter tires is December 1, drivers who have not already done this should take extra care, as summer tires are not really up to coping with conditions like those seen Friday morning – winter tires should be fitted as soon as possible.

A Level 1 warning defines weather conditions as "potentially dangerous,".urging the public to "be attentive if you intend to practice activities exposed to meteorological risks," and to "Keep informed about the forecast of meteorological conditions".

Moe information in English is available from the state weather service here. Road conditions and warning sare updated in real time on the Tark tee ("Smart road") portal here.

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