2006 European Cold Wave - Snow in Southern Europe

Snow in Southern Europe

The anticyclone responsible for the cold temperatures in Central Europe brought snow to much of southern Europe. Algiers saw their first snow in over forty years and the snow had brought about icy and slippery conditions on the roads catching many off guard. Much of Greece also saw snow and Athens had a significant fall of snow and the snow had cut off more remote outlying areas and the island of Limnos also saw measurable snow.

The Balearic Islands saw snow and freezing temperatures which resulted in closure of the airport on Majorca.

On 29 January, snow fell in Lisbon for the first time in 54 years. Snow began falling in the early morning in seaside towns like Figueira da Foz in central Portugal, and the storm reached record south locations such as Algarve. Other towns with a record snowfall were Leiria, Santarém, Évora, Setúbal, Portalegre, Sesimbra, Palmela, Fátima, Pombal, Abrantes, Torres Novas and Ourém. Highways and roads were closed, and hundreds of people were evacuated from their vehicles in Montejunto. The storm caused electricity to be cut in Elvas and other parts of the Alentejo region. In Lisbon, the city government demanded that subway stations remain open overnight, so that homeless people could find shelter. Much of the south remained at 0°C by midday though the north of the country had temperatures of 5-10°C.