Snowfall began late on Monday and engulfed Istanbul after midnight. With the start of rush hour in the morning, it took its toll on the city's already horrible traffic, leading to lengthy jams. Commuters traveling between the Asian and European sides of the city spent hours in heavy traffic yesterday morning. In response, municipality workers armed with snowplows and trucks who spread salt on the roads were deployed on the main roads in the city.
Snowfall is expected to continue until Thursday with temperatures dropping to zero degrees today and Thursday. The brief spell meant no shutdown for schools, as many students had just concluded their half-term break on Monday. Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin said schools will not be closed because the snowfall will not be dense according to forecasts.
Bad weather also disrupted ferry services in Istanbul. Two companies operating the ferries from Istanbul to other cities announced cancellations yesterday and more cancellations are being considered for today, as the strong winds will likely continue. Flights in Istanbul were not badly affected, and Turkish Airlines officials said cancelled flights were mostly due to bad weather in arrival and departure destinations abroad.
Snowfall also battered the western provinces of Turkey. A road connecting İzmir and Manisa was closed for hours when two trucks overturned on the icy road. Another road connecting İzmir to the capital Ankara also saw heavy traffic yesterday as thick snow and ice accumulated on parts of the road. In some towns in the western province of Denizli, schools were closed yesterday due to heavy snow, and schools were also closed in Uşak, another western province.
