Unexpected Weather Hits Southern Europe

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

The winter of 2008/2009 has become the season of unexpected snowfalls.  Madrid and Las Vegas were hit particularly hard this year, while other cities have also had their share of surprising weather events.  

Las Vegas was hit not once, but twice by heavy snowfall.  Snow is not unheard of in Sin City, but the amount of snowfall this year has caught everyone off guard.  Business at McCarran International Airport was slowed by the precipitation and action on the strip ground to a halt until the snow was removed or melted.  

The Madrid snowfall was less of a surprise, but its intensity was enough to shut down busy Barajas International Airport for nearly 6 hours.  Only two-and-a-half inches fell, but it fell quickly, creating nearly blizzard-like conditions, which delighted many Madrid residents but led to travelers feeling extremely frustrated.  Snow falls in Madrid every year, but it is usually in the form of quick snow showers that melt within hours of falling.  The last time there was a significant amount of snowfall was 2001.  

The Madrid storm was caused by a cold front that has been hovering over Western Europe.  The airport in Milan was shut because of snow, freezing rain and cold weather.  Temperatures further north have dipped well below zero degrees Fahrenheit.  Regions of Belgium and France have seen their coldest temperatures in a decade.  

The cold spell appears to be moving off.  That is good news for Europeans, but the unexpected weather events might continue.  The weather pattern means that Northern Africa is in line for a cold spell.  Though it is too arid and too far south for snow, some higher elevations could see some of the white stuff and all of the region will be in for some unseasonably cold weather.  The Madrid storm certainly won’t be the end of this year’s surprising weather events.