Istanbul navigates coldest nights of year as snow begins to fade

ISTANBUL

Istanbul continued to experience sporadic snowfall that occasionally turned into blizzards in some districts, while the snowstorm weakened in other areas on Feb. 23, recording the coldest nights of the year before the cold snap completely departed.

The metropolis experienced its temperatures plummeting to minus 6 degrees Celsius on the night of Feb. 22, with temperatures revolving around minus 4 degrees Celsius the coming night.

Remaining under the grip of a severe cold wave for the past five days, the megacity witnessed severe weather taking a toll on transportation, with ferry services remaining suspended for a while.

At Sabiha Gökçen Airport, airlines announced additional flight cancellations on Feb. 23, with passengers advised to check with their carriers for updates.

Road travel was also significantly affected, with ice and snow causing treacherous conditions, particularly in the city’s higher elevations.

In response, the governor's office imposed a temporary traffic restriction on motorcycles and couriers for safety reasons on Feb. 20, lifting the ban on Feb. 23 as weather conditions showed signs of improvement.

The Transport and Infrastructure Ministry also prohibited heavy-tonnage vehicles from utilizing the main thoroughfares of the city due to the significant amount of snowfall.

Intense snowfall also led to the suspension of educational activities on Feb. 20 and 21, however, schools reopened with the start of the fresh week.

While the cold spell began on Feb. 19 and disrupted daily life across the city since then, meteorologists predict a gradual departure of the persistent snowfall at the start of the week, bringing some relief to the city.

Beyond Istanbul, the cold snap is affecting much of the country. In Sivas, temperatures plunged to minus 18 degrees Celsius, causing sections of the Kızılırmak River, the country’s largest, to freeze.

The Turkish State Meteorological Service, in response to the harsh cold snap affecting the whole country, issued a nationwide warning of frost, avalanches and ice.