Last week, following a mild start to the season, winter found Europe.

From the U.K. to Russia and as far south as Italy, temperatures plummeted well below freezing and snowfall accumulated in substantial amounts.  Rome was blanketed by eight inches of snow. That is the most snow the city has seen in over twenty-five years.  Venice was so cold that its famous canals partially froze.  The hardest hit areas, however, were in Eastern Europe.  Places in Ukraine reached temperatures of 33° Celsius below zero, that is -27°F.  These are some of the harshest winter conditions that Europe has experienced in decades.

This intense cold snap caused serious problems in a region that is used to more moderate winters.  Power outages, transportation delays, and sadly over 300 weather-related deaths have been reported across Europe.

While this deep dip in the Jet Stream remains in place, the cold and in some cases, severe weather are forecast to continue.

Jet Stream dipping south over Europe.

Image Credit: wdtn.com