The peaks surrounding the greater Athens-Piraeus area were covered in snow on Saturday, with a low front over much of Greece generating significant precipitation and frigid temperatures.
Traffic heading up to most of the higher elevations was stopped. For instance, traffic was stopped at the Mont Parnes funicular leading up the mountain to the same-name casino. The Ippokratios Politia settlement, north of Athens, appeared to have accumulated the most snowfall in the wider area.
Much of the inclement weather is also forecast for the islands in the Aegean and Crete, with the heavy rains expected to ameliorate the effects of near drought witnessed over the past year or so. Winds of up to 9 on the Beaufort scale also affected certain coastal shipping routes.
Snowfall was forecast for much of the mountainous and semi-mountainous regions of mainland Greece, as well as the large island of Evia, which straddles the central eastern seaboard of the country.
Indicative of the precautions announced by civil protection authorities is an order for motorists in Attica prefecture (greater Athens-Piraeus) to carry snow chains or blankets in their vehicle.
Previous snowfall in the Greek capital saw numerous motorists stranded on roadways, including the Attiki Odos tollway. This past week a major traffic jam was widely reported on the mountainous road heading to the winter holiday destination of Arachova, a town in south-central Greece, roughly midway between the Parnassus ski resort and the Delphi archaeological site.
