Freak Snowstorm Causes Chaos In Greece. February 13, 2004

[Anonymous]

A sudden freak snowstorm raged across Athens and the rest of Greece, catching residents by surprise and causing chaos.

Temperatures plunged as the worst snowstorms in decades pounded the entire country, grounding planes, closing ports and highways and stranding thousands of people at bus stops and train stations.



The storm, which has already coated Athens with up to 50 centimeters of snow, forced closure of some roads, leaving some towns snowed-in as temperatures plunged below zero.

The Acropolis, symbol of the city, was closed because of the slippery marble stairway leading to the temple site.

Schools across the country were shut as the cold spell gripped the whole of Greece, which prides itself on its 300 days of sunshine a year.

http://www.local6.com/news/2846033/detail.html

[David]

I saw this on TWC. Amazing.

[Anonymous]

I saw this on TWC. Amazing.

In other words, how do you lose to the Cornhuskers ???

[Stephanie]

I saw that too! It's hard to even IMAGINE snow at the Acropolis!

[Anonymous]

And if I may mention for refernce, Athens , Greece actually had 3 feet of snow on the ground in Jan,2002 as a fierce snowstorm crippled that region:

Hundreds of towns in central Greece cut off by snow (5 Jan 2002):

Key roads were blocked around Athens for the second day in a row after more than three feet of snow fell on the outskirts of the Greek capital.
Hundreds of travelers were trapped in their vehicles for about 20 hours. Athens' international airport was also closed as snow plows worked to clear runways.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis described the severe snow storms as the worst in 40 years to hit his country. The snowfall and subfreezing temperatures were part of a rare winter storm affecting many parts of the southern Balkans.

[Stephanie]

And if I may mention for refernce, Athens , Greece actually had 3 feet of snow on the ground in Jan,2002 as a fierce snowstorm crippled that region:

Hundreds of towns in central Greece cut off by snow (5 Jan 2002):

Key roads were blocked around Athens for the second day in a row after more than three feet of snow fell on the outskirts of the Greek capital.
Hundreds of travelers were trapped in their vehicles for about 20 hours. Athens' international airport was also closed as snow plows worked to clear runways.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis described the severe snow storms as the worst in 40 years to hit his country. The snowfall and subfreezing temperatures were part of a rare winter storm affecting many parts of the southern Balkans.

I remember reading about that storm as well.

[sertorius]

When I was in Athens in 2000 with 14 of my students, Athens had snow in the mountains and at the Acropolis-when we were there in mid March, all the Mountains of Greece and Sothern Italy were snow capped. It is rare for Athens proper to get snow, but the areas to thier North do get some snows-even the Ancients mention it in thier commentaries!!