Record breaking snowstorms in southeast Europe

[UK_Palms]

So far to date, this winter storm is undoubtedly the biggest event so far in Europe this season. Excluding the unseasonably warm spell for western and central Europe back in late December / early January, there hasn't been much else for us to talk about. However, this snowfall event is certainly significant and more than likely record breaking for Greece and Turkey. Northern Syria got hit pretty bad too, as did eastern Europe in general. I certainly don't recall many of these areas getting hit this bad before. It must be the worst snow storm to hit the Med region in several decades, surely?

Starting with Greece, this was Athens on Monday afternoon, before things got real bad there...

 

However this is Athens tonight, after it snowed all day long... absolutely crazy scenes!

 

The islands in the Greek Med got hit as well, especially Mykonos...

 

The honeymoon island of Santorini like you have never seen it before...

 

Turkey also got hit hard. Check out these scenes in Istanbul! 2-3 foot of snow in places...

 

This is one of the main highways into Istanbul...

 

This same weather system has dumped a lot of snow on northern Syria as well. There are literally millions of refugees that are living in tents with blizzards and -5C temps...

 

Here's the system responsible...

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by UK_Palms

[Aceraceae]

Maybe for Greece. Istanbul is farther north and colder and has a statistical foot of snow a year, surprised some airport building collapsed from it. Looks like a lot of snow in Greece and it's interesting to see the white buildings areas with snow. 

[UK_Palms]

8 hours ago, Aceraceae said:

Maybe for Greece. Istanbul is farther north and colder and has a statistical foot of snow a year, surprised some airport building collapsed from it. Looks like a lot of snow in Greece and it's interesting to see the white buildings areas with snow. 

Istanbul doesn’t normally have 50-60cm of snow on the ground, including 3 foot deep snow drifts. They may have several snowfalls each winter, but rarely over 10-20cm at a time. There are definitely some new records being set in the northern suburbs and along the highways, where 75cm+ has fallen and there are 4 foot deep snow drifts.

The temperature hasn’t risen above 0C / 32F today either in Istanbul with a windchill of -6C / 20F, so this is an extreme winter event even by their standards. I think it’s certainly the worst snowstorm to hit Turkey in decades. Parts of central Turkey have set records. Even the Mediterranean coast of Turkey has had quite a bit of snow. 20cm in Bodrum and Antalya. Definitely the worst snowstorm in decades.

This is right on the south coast of Turkey at 36N…

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by UK_Palms

[kinzyjr]

Looks like it has been an interesting winter on other continents too.

[Phoenikakias]

Actually the 2004 snow storm had double intensity and lower temps too. So not record breaking the current one. Even if you add last year's cold spell to current one, their combination does not even the legendary one of 2004. There are however some similarities. Both cold spells in terms of snow fall had come upon southeastern Greece only like sickle cut! Western Greece was left unscathed and northern Greece was spared from such extreme (or at all) snow fall. Even inside Attica we had significant fluctuation of received precipitation from area to area. The southwest areas were affected the least, snow did not even manage to settle. Here are some pictures of yesterday at the very dusk from the snow covered Lycabettus Hill viewing Parthenon and southwestern areas. Regarding latter, even surrounding mountains are snowfree.

[Aceraceae]

2004 event:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2004/feb/14/weather.climatechange

Worst falls since 1960 paralyse country (2004)

Greece was brought to a halt yesterday by the worst snow storms to hit the country since the 1960s.

Blizzards blanketed Athens in up to 50cm (20in) of snow, closing the airport and harbour and trapping thousands of motorists.

 

The Acropolis was also shut. Guards said temperatures as low as minus 9C made the limestone outcrop on which the ancient temples stand too icy for tourists' safety.

Main roads in Athens were empty of cars and pedestrians. Schools were shut and shops and private offices closed after most workers failed to show up. The civil service was also paralysed, with court houses and government buildings similarly shut.

The public order minister, Kostas Scandalides, urged people to stay indoors. "Don't make excursions, don't do things [outdoors] because you've said you'll do them. These are very extreme weather conditions," he warned.

With gale-force winds whipping up the seas, the government declared a state of emergency on the Cycladic islands of Andros, Tinos and Syros, where airports were also closed.

On Mykonos a town hall official said: "It's extraordinary. We haven't seen snow for years."

Across the country conscripts used armoured personnel carriers to free lorry drivers and other motorists stranded on highways.

An Athens airport spokeswoman said: "Due to poor visibility nothing can be done. We have no idea when we will be able to start de-icing runways."

[UK_Palms]

Last night the temperature dropped to -8C / 17F in the areas where the migrant camps are located in northeastern Syria with more fresh snowfall too. Reports of dozens of children and elderly people dying from hypothermia. What a time for the worst snowstorms in 40 years to hit Syria, when over 1 million refugees are currently displaced and almost 300,000 stuck in temporary camps, living in cold, dirty, flimsy tents. It certainly makes me feel fortunate. 

 

 

What a pitiful existence. Those camps look like hell on earth. The snow and cold is crazy there...

 

 

On a more positive note, HOLY COW! The snow storms have reached as far south as Jerusalem tonight in Israel. Quite a considerable dumping as well...

 

This is quite a decent accumulation for Jerusalem...

 

This is the main road into Jerusalem...

 

Edited January 27, 2022 by UK_Palms