Snow warning and overnight ambulance cuts proposed

The latest Østfold news from the past 48 hours has been marked by a proposal to reduce overnight ambulance services, a warning of snow and slush for the inland parts of the county and the Moss region, and a debate over the funding of sewage treatment plants around the Oslofjord. Regional sources also report several local briefs, from the sale of an island in Hvaler to the fall in diesel prices. (NRK Østfold, Fredriksstad Blad, Moss Avis)

Østfold news: night ambulances, a budget under strain

The budget for Østfold hospital for next year proposes reducing ambulance capacity in the stations in Indre Østfold, Moss and Fredrikstad. The plan is to reduce the number of ambulances from three to two per station between 02:00 and 10:00 (NRK Østfold).

At the same time, the management says it wants to strengthen daytime and evening coverage with one additional resource in the county. “We are doing this to improve our capacity during the time slot when ambulance use is highest,” explains chief surgeon Asbjørn Sorteberg (NRK Østfold). The stated goal is to save 2 million kroner per year.

The proposal has prompted reactions among employees. Hans Erik Ringnes, the senior representative of the Delta union at Østfold hospital, describes the situation as critical and highly vulnerable (NRK Østfold).

Snow and sleet: warning for Indre Østfold and the Moss area

In Thursday’s østfold news, a danger warning for snow was issued for eastern Norway, from 05h00 on Thursday morning to 21h00 on Thursday evening. It mainly concerns the Oslo area and its northern and western districts, but snow and sleet may also fall in Østfold (NRK Østfold).

The forecast predicts around 5 to 15 cm of snow, with slightly higher amounts at higher elevations. Near the coast, some of the precipitation may come in the form of sleet. The warning, which initially included the outer parts of Østfold, was reduced to Indre Østfold and the Moss area (NRK Østfold).

These conditions may disrupt traffic, particularly towards Oslo. In Råde, convenience store owner Morten Høkaas Martiniussen says he is ready to intervene on Thursday morning and expects a lot of work (NRK Østfold). The Local Norway also reports that snow is expected to affect parts of the country, including Oslo (The Local Norway).

Sewage networks: Høyre and Frp call for financial support

Around the Oslofjord, 118 municipalities are building costly sewage treatment plants, with the bill being borne by residents. Høyre and Frp are asking the government to cover part of the expenditure, while MDG says it is ready to negotiate on the same issue (NRK Østfold).

NRK Østfold is reporting on this debate, which affects the municipalities along the Oslofjord, several of which are located in Østfold county. Local elected representatives must choose between water quality, infrastructure costs and households' purchasing power (NRK Østfold).

Environment: animal cruelty complaint after rotenone treatment

Norges Miljøvernforbund filed a complaint on 9 November against the veterinary institute for animal cruelty. It said it had received videos showing fish and eels gasping for air for a day after the treatment, and for up to four days in some cases (NRK Østfold).

In early November, the lake Molbekktjernet in Moss, Verpentjerna in Asker and Stuvstjern in Lier were treated with rotenone. The aim was to eliminate American bass, an invasive species illegally introduced and considered a threat to the environment. Statsforvalteren had announced the intervention, and department director Karsten Butenschøn said no better method had been found. In the cold autumn water, however, the elimination took an unusually long time (NRK Østfold).

📌 Local briefs

Diesel prices are falling: at some stations, the price per litre is dropping below 24 kroner (Fredriksstad Blad, 11 November at 21:00).

An entire island in Hvaler has been sold to a buyer who is no ordinary cabin buyer (Fredriksstad Blad, 12 November).

A pregnant 31-year-old woman, Jeanett, says she is worried about a rat problem; the municipality denies any health hazard (Fredriksstad Blad, 12 November).

Demolition of the iconic FMV venue could be approved on one condition (Fredriksstad Blad, 12 November).

In Moss, a rector responds to a decision by Arbeidstilsynet: “Sånt er aldri gøy” (Moss Avis, 12 November).

Sources: NRK Østfold, Fredriksstad Blad, Moss Avis, The Local Norway — Period: 11 November 2026 and 12 November 2026