An arctic front slammed into Greece on Saturday, sending temperatures plunging by up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) and bringing snow to northern regions as a deep freeze grips the country.
The National Observatory of Athens reports that cold air masses from northeastern Europe are displacing the recent mild weather. The severe cold snap is forecast to intensify through Sunday and Monday.
Rain is battering the eastern mainland and Crete, while snow is expected to blanket mountainous areas from Central Greece northward.
Light snow is also forecast for lower elevations in Thessaly, Macedonia, and Thrace.
Thodoris Kolydas, former director of the National Weather Service, warned that the temperature drop would be “noticeable across the entire country.”
“The cold will become more pronounced on Sunday and Monday,” Mr. Kolydas stated.
He cautioned that northeasterly winds in the Aegean Sea could reach gale-force speeds of 7 to 8 on the Beaufort scale, threatening ferry schedules.
Authorities have urged drivers in northern and mountainous regions to exercise extreme caution due to icy roads.
The wintry system is expected to begin weakening by Monday evening.