The long-awaited snowfall brought smiles to millions of faces after an alarming situation of severe drought and lack of precipitation, thanks to mother nature.
Many citizens flocked to Kartepe to enjoy the snow and fun as snow fell in the higher parts of Kocaeli province, famous for its winter tourism.
Breathtaking views on the Samanlı Mountains were appreciated by families and students, who were also enjoying their winter break. Citizens were seen skiing and engaging in other fun activities organized by the authorities.
Esat Muratoğlu, a visitor to Kartepe, stated: "We came to Kartepe to enjoy a heavy snowfall. Surprisingly, Kartepe still feels warm despite the heavy snow. There is a huge crowd and it is hard to find accommodation in any hotel at the moment. So, I'm going back, but I'll visit once again."
Facility Manager Mertcan Korkmaz said: "The expected snow season has finally arrived. Although it is a little late, it's alright, at least now we have hope that the season will continue until the end of March. Currently, snow depths are not as expected, but it seems good as this condition is preferred by children, adults and everyone who wants to play. Hopefully next week we will receive more snow.”
Whereas, in Bursa's magnificent Uludağ, at an altitude of 2,543 meters (8,343 feet), snowfall covered the ground in white.
Bitlis
The Tatvan district of southeastern Bitlis province turned white with the snowfall last night. Before the long-awaited flurries could cause transportation woes, Tatvan Municipality teams quickly launched intensive efforts to prevent the closure and icing of roads. With the uninterrupted snowfall, the trees and plants in the district were covered with a white sheet, resulting in postcard-like images.
Heavy snowfall continues in the district, making citizens happy as they feared a severe drought this season. "We pray that this abundance will continue this way," said several citizens of Bitlis.
Kırklareli
Water in some streams, which were on the brink of drying up due to lack of precipitation, increased in Kırklareli province, located around 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Istanbul. Since temperatures have been above seasonal normals for a while, water levels at many dams in the region, without enough precipitation, had decreased, and some streams even reached drying points.
After the snowfall, the melting snow from the Yıldız Mountains, at a height of 1,310 meters, increased the amount of water in the streams.
Kırklareli Director of Agriculture and Forestry Mehmet Aksoy told that the snowfall made citizens happy. Expressing that there were about 20 centimeters (nearly 8 inches) of snow in the region in January last year, Aksoy emphasized that snowfall is very important, especially for agriculture. He further stated that snow brings abundance and said, "We longed to see snow as when its snows, we hear the ripples of water from the streams again, which is a blessing."
Van
The long-awaited snowfall in eastern Van province caused havoc in the countryside and fun in the city center. In Van, where 48 rural roads were closed to traffic, municipal teams' efforts continued uninterrupted, as snowfall turned into entertainment in the city center. After the flurries, some tradespeople made snowmen in front of their workplace with their staff, while children on semester break played with snowballs.
Sinan Ateş, the owner of Etçi Sinan Usta, who built a snowman and a snow castle in front of his business, said: “We woke up with good energy in the morning. We made a snowman and a house together with the staff before the work had even started."
The children, who were most happy with the snowfall, used their school-free days to stage snowball fights across the city.
Negative Effects
However, in some regions snow, blizzards and severe cold weather adversely affected the daily lives of those in Erzurum, Iğdır, Ağrı, Kars and Ardahan.
After the snowfall, which has been intermittent for two days in eastern Erzurum province, icing occurred on pavements and roads. In the city, where the nighttime temperature dropped to minus 9 degrees Celsius (15.8 degrees Fahrenheit), workplaces, vehicle windows and tree branches were covered with ice.
While measures have been taken to protect trees from the cold in the city gardens, Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality teams continued spreading rock salt on pavements and roads.
Snowfall and fog also affected life negatively in northeastern Kars province. The city, which turned white after an overnight snowfall, saw some citizens clearing snow accumulated in front of their vehicles and workplaces in the morning. Fog and snowfall in high-altitude areas challenged drivers trying to navigate the roads.
