Opposition Leader Rebecca White has been caught in a traffic standstill during chaotic winter weather

A high-profile member of Tasmania’s Labor Party has described how they came to be stuck in chilling traffic chaos through the centre of the state amid worsening weather conditions.

• Full list of road closures around Tasmania
• Damaging winds, icy conditions forecast for most of Tasmania

LABOR Leader Rebecca White has described how she came to be stuck in Midland Highway traffic chaos amid worsening weather conditions.

Ms White, who was travelling home to Richmond from Launceston this afternoon, came to a traffic halt around 5pm this evening alongside hundreds of other Tasmanian motorists.

The State Opposition Leader said she was travelling near Colebrook when she encountered a traffic standstill which ensued when several cars skidded from the road.

It may be a while before traffic moves on the Midland Hwy.

There are multiple trucks stuck at Spring Hill and until they are moved and the road cleared we can’t go anywhere.

TFS have said it is too dangerous to turn around because of heavy snowfall. #tasweather #tasmania pic.twitter.com/wsVNwm0b7W

— Rebecca White (@bec_white) August 4, 2020

“We got to a point just near Colebrook where it gets steep and windy, and there were a lot of cars that had become stuck,” she said.

“There were a couple guys in a ute trying to toe them out but we were instructed at that point that we wouldn’t be able to get any further along the road.

“We turned around and headed back and got to a turn-off at Lower Marshes Rd, 10km south of Oatlands, where we have been stuck for two and a half hours.”

Ms White said she had been given little indication of when her journey home could resume.

“The only contact we’ve had has been from the Tasmania Fire Service just to say they were working to clear the blockage but they couldn’t give any indication how long that would take,” she said.

“This is just a freak weather event which has caught a lot of motorists not only here, but I’m sure, in many other parts of the state.”

She said traffic slowly began flowing south shortly after 9pm.