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Was there snow in Greece?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 24, 2026

An unusual storm dumped snow on Athens, Greece, on January 29, 2008, reported Reuters. Snow still covered the mountains north of the city when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image the following morning.

Did it ever snow in Greece?

Snow is common in the Greek mountains and in northern Greece but is less frequent in central Athens and on Aegean islands. Last year, a major snowstorm caused severe problems in the capital, knocking out power for days.

Did ancient Greece have snow?

In ancient Greek art, notably in statues and vase paintings from the 5th and 4th centuries BC, both men and women are often depicted wearing simple, loose-fitting clothing, evocative of warm, dry weather. Even so, snowfall in winter, while probably infrequent, was not altogether unknown.

What part of Greece has snow?

Syros, Naxos, Tinos, Andros, Mykonos, Santorini, and the other islands of the Cyclades are covered in a white veil of snow as the storm “Elpis” hits Greece, including the mainland. The heavy snowfall has caused many problems in the islands that lack the infrastructure to cope with such weather events.

Did it snow in Athens Greece?

Snow blanketed most of Turkey and Greece, including several Aegean islands. A severe snowstorm disrupted road and air traffic in the Greek capital of Athens and in nearby Istanbul, Turkey, while snow blanketed most of the two countries, including several Aegean islands.

40 related questions found

Did Istanbul get snow?

Istanbul, Turkey – Turkish authorities in Istanbul dispatched troops to clear highways and ordered military helicopters to shuttle the sick to hospital, as the country's largest city was blanketed in unusually heavy snow that brought transport to a nearly complete standstill.

Why does Greece have snow?

The cold air passing over the mild water generated high levels of atmospheric instability, which gave rise to vigorous storms, including the rare “snownado” in Andros. While snow is not unusual in Athens, the snow that fell on several Greek islands is much more rare.

Did Santorini get snow?

The Greek islands were completely covered in snow on Sunday, in what locals are calling a once-in-a-lifetime weather event. The last time this amount of snow fell on the Cyclades was decades ago.

Did Mykonos get snow?

Greece's most famous party island Mykonos has just been covered in snow, a rare phenomenon for the summer cosmopolitan hotspot.

Does Sparta have snow?

When can you find snow in Sparta? Weather stations report no annual snow.

What ancient Greeks wore in winter?

During winter, Ancient Greeks wore the himation -a larger cloak worn over the peplos or chlamys. Over time, himation was made from lighter materials and was worn in every weather.

How many times has it snowed in Greece?

Athens has only seen six snow events since 2000, and while it usually experiences average snowfall of 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) annually, Elpida has already brought around 8 centimeters (3.1 inches), the most since February 2021, when 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) fell.

Does Turkey usually snow?

Snow does occur on the coastal areas of the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea almost every winter, but it usually lies no more than a few days. On the other hand, it is rare in the coastal areas of the Aegean Sea and very rare in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea.

How cold was ancient Greece?

Typically temperatures did not go below 40° F (4.4° C) with the exceptions in the high mountains. In the mountains, snow was typical during the wet winter months. The average yearly rainfall ranged from twenty to fifty inches, with the majority coming during the winter months.

How cold does Greece get in winter?

Winter in Greece is generally mild, with temperatures averaging at around 12 to 15 degrees Celsius. However, as you move more to the north, the temperature drops, and in regions such as Epirus and Macedonia or Thrace temperatures regularly drop below zero and can, on rare occasions, go as low as -20 degrees Celsius!

Does Greenland have snow?

Greenland's weather varies by region and by season, so the temperature and climate you'll encounter depends on where and when you go. However, despite the large amounts of snow on the ground, Greenland is very dry and sees very little precipitation throughout the year.

Is snow rare in Greece?

The storm named Elpida covered the capital of Greece, Athens, with heavy snow, which is very rare for the city. Athens usually experiences only small snowfalls. However, this year the city was affected heavily.

When did Egypt get snow?

Egypt. Egypt's capital Cairo witnessed extremely rare snowfall (mostly graupel) on Friday December 13 that the local media claimed to be the first in 112 years and night temperature was expected to drop as low as 2 °C (36 °F). Snow also fell heavily on Sinai mountains.

Does Rhodes snow?

In the plains, substantially it never snows (sometimes you can see the snow falling, but it does not accumulate on the ground), while on inland hills, which reach 1,200 metres (3,900 feet), sometimes it can snow. Spring, from mid-March to May, is mild, and becomes progressively warmer and sunnier, and less rainy.

Does it ever snow in Corfu?

You can expect a few days of snow in Corfu during December. It's important to get out your snow boots and warm mittens to stay warm while you explore Corfu.

Did ancient Rome have snow?

Winters in Ancient Rome were generally mild and rainy, as they often are today. At night it could get cold, however. In Rome itself, there were harsh winters with snow and ice. The River Tiber froze in the years 398 BC, 396 BC, 271 BC and 177 BC.

Does it snow in Brazil?

A fierce cold snap prompted snowfall in southern Brazil, with snow accumulating on streets of cities where the wintry phenomenon is rarely seen. The last time a blizzard hit Brazil was in 1957, when 4.3 feet of snow was recorded in the Santa Catarina state.

Does is snow in Rome?

Snow is rare in Rome but there have been occasional snowfalls, mostly during the months of January and February. The last snowfall occurred in February 2018. Rome during December has 16-17 days with sunny or partly sunny skies. Daylight hours average a little over 9 hours throughout the month.

Does it snow in Dubai?

Dubai rarely experiences snow, well, except if we are talking of artificial snows. It, however, receives a heavy shower of hailstones during the winter months. The Jumeirah and Sharjah are the areas frequently pelted by the hailstones.

Does it snow in Ankara?

Ankara experiences some seasonal variation in monthly snowfall. The snowy period of the year lasts for 3.3 months, from December 5 to March 13, with a sliding 31-day snowfall of at least 1.0 inches. The month with the most snow in Ankara is January, with an average snowfall of 3.1 inches.