Turkey’s eastern region has grappled with a cold spell marked by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures well into the last week of March. Snowfall and blizzards shut down roads and disrupted daily life over the weekend and on Monday across the region.

The country's easternmost province of Ağrı recorded the lowest temperature on Sunday night at minus 13 degrees Celsius (8.6 degrees Fahrenheit), slightly ahead of Kars, Ardahan and Erzurum. A thick layer of snow blanketed four provinces, the worst hit by the cold spell. In Ağrı, a layer of snow as thick as 48 centimeters (19 inches) covered central parts of the province.

Local municipalities’ crews and residents struggle to keep the roads clear of snow, while authorities warn against icy roads in places where the snowfall melted, but the temperatures are still chilling.

Roads to 262 residential areas, mostly villages, were closed as of Monday in Erzurum, Kars and Ardahan, while crews were deployed to clear the roads amid occasional blizzards.