( CNN ) -- A blast of harsh winter weather socked Europe Friday , causing travel chaos and sending temperatures into the deep-freeze . From Northern Ireland to Bulgaria , blizzard conditions left airports with heavy delays or shut them entirely . In Belgium , truck drivers were forced to spend a freezing night in their cabs when authorities banned trucks over seven tons from travelling on icy roads . At London 's Heathrow Airport , snow caused the cancellation of many short-haul flights . These cancellations sparked a domino-effect that left passenger aircraft unable to get to the gates , prompting further delays . Hundreds of passengers who did manage to land were still unable to claim their luggage after baggage-handlers ended their shifts . Meteorologists say the cold weather is caused by a negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation , which means that cold Arctic air is flowing into southern latitudes that are normally much warmer . Forecasters do n't expect conditions to change anytime soon . The next wave of snowy weather is expected to bring up to 20 centimeters to some parts of the U.K. , with London expected to receive 5-10 centimeters of snow . The weather system will move across France and Germany on Saturday night and Sunday . Below-normal temperatures are expected to continue in northern Europe into the beginning of next week .
Travel chaos reigns across northern Europe amid harsh winter weather . Blizzard conditions have closed airports from Northern Ireland to Bulgaria . Cold temperatures are caused by Arctic air flowing into southern latitudes . More snow is expected in the U.K. , Germany and France .