Europe Gets a Free‑zing Surprise: Snow, Sleds, and Ski‑Fail Tales
When Winter Comes Early
On a chilly March day, a freak blizzard swept across Europe, turning it from a sunny Mediterranean coast to a frosty wonderland. Airports were forced to cancel flights, roads became impassable, and schools closed the door on chaos.
Airports in the Snow
- Geneva shut down for several hours; temperatures plummeted to nearly –40 °C on higher ground.
- Glasgow and Edinburgh stayed closed until after 3 p.m., culled by staff shortages.
- Dublin cancelled the entire Friday schedule, with travel not back on until Saturday.
- Amsterdam’s Schiphol saw dozens of flights delayed or canceled due to fierce gusts.
Travel Gone Wrong
Cars, trucks, and buses froze on motorways, leaving about 2,000 motorists stranded in places like Montpellier—“a cemetery of trucks and cars,” wrote driver Anthony Jammot.
Public Transport Tumbles
- 50% of regional trains in northern Italy were canceled.
- Naples shut its schools. Florence felt the chill at its old dam.
Deadly Chill in the States
Europe’s death toll surpassed 55. Rough sleepers lost their lives across the continent, but the numbers added up quickly:
- Poland: 21 total, three new victims.
- Slovakia: 7 new deaths since Sunday.
- Czech Republic: 6.
- Lithuania: 5.
- France: 4.
- Spain: 3 (including a 39‑year‑old homeless man in an abandoned truck).
- Italy, Serbia, Romania, Slovenia: 2 each.
- Britain, the Netherlands: 1 each.
The WHO warned: “Elderly, kids, chronic‑illness sufferers, and those in poor or transient housing are at the highest risk.”
One Cold, One Not Even Frozen
In Bruges, a 74‑year‑old fell through the ice on a pond. Though he survived, he’s still in critical condition—no one wants that story added to a tourist brochure.
Snow Mystery: Warm vs Freezing
While Norwegians and Scots braced for sub‑zero temps, Southern France found beaches in Nice coated in a thick snowfall—definitely not the vacation that was planned.
The mysterious “Beast from the East” was even dubbed a “snow cannon” by Swedes and a “Siberian bear” by the Dutch.
Homelessness Getting a Reality Check
- Paris kept emergency shelters open for its 3,000 homeless.
- 30 city officials camped out near Austerlitz station, pushing authorities to care for those “on the streets” rather than merely an aesthetic backdrop.
- German homeless charities called for day‑time shelter openings; “Cold kills in daylight too,” warned chief Werena Rosenke.
Neighbourhood Watch in Chilly Times
Local residents were urged by French officials to look out for elderly neighbors after a woman in her 90s froze to death outside her retirement home.
Spring, but Still a Winter Saga
While the Arctic is blazing with record temperatures, these cold fronts are a reminder that warming may guide climate’s oddball flips—so keep your lighter handy.
Amulets and Flowers in Snow
In Romania, the first day of spring—the martisor day—was punctuated by less money than usual. Florists in Bucharest saw a dip in amulet sales as the temperature hovered around –10 °C.
“The 1st of March is the most important day for us, where we sell the most flowers,” said Florists Association President Adrian Dinca.
And so, cricket‑cricket, we’re all warming up for March’s icy encore—but hopefully with fewer deaths and more holiday parties.
