Türkiye rings in New Year under pristine blanket of snow

ISTANBUL

From Türkiye's snow-capped mountain peaks to its lively urban centers, the country is ringing in the new year amid a stunning winter display, as heavy snowfall and steady rains combine to usher in the season with dramatic flair.

This winter magic brings a sharp reality as temperatures plummeted by 10 degrees Celsius, triggering urgent weather alerts, school closures and a massive logistical effort to keep snow-bound roads open across the provinces.

In Istanbul, falling temperatures have cast a sweeping white veil of snow across the megacity, transforming its iconic skyline and historic landmarks into a serene winter wonderland as the new year dawns.

Following urgent meteorological alerts, the rain surrendered to a mesmerizing snowstorm, particularly seizing the high ridges of both the European and Asian sides.

Districts such as Başakşehir, Arnavutköy, Beylikdüzü, Sultangazi, Çekmeköy and Beykoz were quickly cloaked in a pristine white layer, while Bağcılar, Küçükçekmece, Avcılar, Esenyurt and Silivri also found themselves in the grip of the flurry.

The transformation reached the city’s historic pulse as large, fluffy flakes fell over the iconic Taksim Square, creating a cinematic backdrop for the new year.

On the Asian side, the iconic Çamlıca Hill turned into a winter playground; while some citizens faced the sudden challenges of the cold, many others rushed to the peaks to play snowballs and capture the magical scenery on their phones.

The city’s disaster coordination center AKOM warned that temperatures may remain near or below freezing through the weekend.

The capital Ankara was similarly enveloped in a thick overnight blanket of snow, concealing streets, vehicles, and rooftops beneath a layer of pristine white.

While municipal teams waged a non-stop campaign of salting and clearing to keep the city's pulse beating, the snow is expected to continue its rhythmic descent into the first morning of the new year.

However, the winter’s true ferocityseized the eastern provinces, where heavy snow paralyzed transportation and isolated the world from 158 villages and hamlets across Van, Hakkari, Bitlis and Muş.

Several highways, including routes connecting Kahramanmaraş, Sivas, Niğde, Malatya and Adıyaman, were temporarily closed to traffic due to snowstorms and blizzard conditions.

This icy surge brought life to a standstill in the classrooms as well as education was suspended on Dec. 31 across a wide range of provinces.

From the northern city of Bolu and the Black Sea province of Sinop to the southern province of Gaziantep and the southeastern city of Şanlıurfa, a total of 30 provinces announced full or partial closures, while administrative leave was granted to pregnant staff and parents of young children to ensure their safety.

Officials say the weather system is expected to gradually weaken, but freezing temperatures, frost, fog and icy roads will remain a concern into the new year.