Snowfall arrives in Istanbul amid severe warnings
ISTANBUL
As a cold front moves westward from the country’s Black Sea region, Istanbul finds itself in the path of an intense snowstorm, with potential for major disruptions to travel and daily life in the country’s largest city for at least four consecutive days.
Istanbul's highly anticipated winter storm began with a mix of rain and snow early on Feb. 19 as temperatures plummeted, intensifying in the evening hours.
“Snow is predicted to persist sporadically until Monday [Feb. 24]. We anticipate substantial snowfall on Friday [Feb. 21] and Saturday [Feb. 22],” weather forecast expert Abdullah Macit pointed out.
Up to Feb. 22, Istanbul's temperatures will range from 0 to 2 degrees Celsius, with the lowest predicted to fall to minus 1 to minus 2 degrees Celsius, according to Macit.
Adil Tek, a meteorology engineer from the Kandilli Observatory, noted that snow will fall evenly across Istanbul on Feb. 21.
“In Istanbul, there could be locations where the snow depth ranges from 5 to 30 centimeters. All around Istanbul, we anticipate a snow depth appropriate for playing snowball. It is possible that Thursday [Feb. 20] and Friday [Feb. 21] may be shutdown days for schools,” Tek explained.
Such a severe cold wave hasn't occurred in a long time in the province, he added. “Sea water temperatures have also decreased, amplifying the effect of snowfall.”
Fellow meteorologist Güven Özdemir added that coastal areas will see lighter accumulations (5 to 10 centimeters), while districts such as Arnavutköy, Beykoz and Şile could experience significantly higher snow depths.
With severe weather conditions, they anticipate the formation of ice and frost across the province, Özdemir warned.
As the storm strengthens, authorities also issue major flight disruptions, with the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry confirming that Istanbul Airport will reduce flight capacity by 15 percent on Feb. 19 and by 20 percent on Feb. 21.
The flag-carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) expects to cancel approximately 200 flights on Feb. 21, depending on real-time weather conditions.
At Sabiha Gökçen Airport, no immediate cancellations were required for Feb. 19, but authorities have preemptively cut flights by 10 percent on Feb. 20 and 15 percent on Feb. 21.
Passengers are strongly advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as further disruptions remain highly likely.
Meanwhile, a fierce, relentless cold snap swept across multiple other provinces alike.
Snowfall gripped the northwestern province of Kırklareli, with school transportation services suspended on Feb. 19 in the Vize and Kofçaz districts. Similarly, in the eastern city of Tunceli’s Pülümür district, all schools were shut down for the day.
Further east, Bingöl saw school closures in five districts due to consistent snowfall.
Heavy snowfall similarly shut down all educational institutions across the mid-Black Sea city of Tokat. Another Black Sea province of Samsun has also been battling with snowfall, with authorities suspending education across the city’s six districts.
