Amid heavy snow, treacherous icy roads and deteriorating conditions, authorities in multiple Turkish provinces have declared a one-day suspension of in-person classes on Feb. 26, while meteorologists predict persistent difficult winter weather in eastern regions and spreading cold to the west.
In the northeastern city of Bayburt, all schools were closed after heavy snowfall disrupted transportation.
Province-wide closures also went into effect in the eastern city of Erzincan and the Black Sea city of Gümüşhane, where officials suspended all formal and non-formal education activities.
Tunceli, another eastern city, also announced closures in its three districts while education was halted across five districts in the eastern province of Erzurum.
Heavy snowfall also forced the eastern province of Bingöl’s Karlıova district, the southern province of Kahramanmaraş’s Göksun district and the central city of Konya’s Halkapınar district to close all schools for the day.
While eastern regions struggle with persistent snowfall, Istanbul faces a sharp but shorter-lived cold snap.
Intermittent rainfall is forecasted to persist in the megacity until midday on Feb. 27.
Türkiye needs steady above-average rainfall to close 2-year water deficit
Despite the current wintry conditions, Türkiye carries its most acute water deficit in at least two years into 2026, warns a climate scientist, stressing that only a prolonged spell of above-average rainfall can close the gap, something current weather outlooks simply do not predict.
"Türkiye entered 2026 with its most severe water deficit in at least two years, as meteorological drought has brought about hydrological and agricultural droughts,” said Professor Mikdat Kadıoğlu, faculty member of the Climate Science Department at Istanbul Technical University.
While short-term rainfall can create the illusion of recovery, recovering from a deep hydrological drought requires at least 6 to 12 months of above-average rainfall, according to Kadıoğlu.
