The icy grip of winter tightened its hold on eastern Anatolia, with temperatures plummeting to minus 23 degrees Celsius (minus 9.4 degrees Fahrenheit) over the weekend.

The lowest temperature on Saturday night was measured at minus 23 degrees Celsius in Ardahan's Göle, Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reported.

The landscape of the province is said to lie blanketed in frost amid the frigid embrace of winter.

Elaborating on the biting cold that has seized the region, Hakan Şengül, a local resident, remarked, "The cold in Ardahan persists unabated. Today, on Feb. 25, everything seems frozen. May the Almighty watch over us in these trying times."

Across Ardahan's expanse, thermometers painted frosty pictures with minus 18.6 degrees Celsius measured in the heart of Ardahan, minus 13.7 degrees in the Çıldır area, popular for its Çılıdr Lake, minus 9.1 degrees in Posof, minus 17.6 degrees in Damal and a bone-chilling minus 18.2 degrees in Hanak.

Çıldır Lake, which generally every winter boasts a frosty surface, was covered completely with ice, but is a significant attraction for locals who usually over weekend gather for sleighing activities near the lake.

Similarly, the temperatures in Ardahan's bordering province of Kars hovered at minus 10 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while temperatures in Erzurum are touching approximately minus 7 degrees overnight, according to data from the General Directorate of Meteorology.

Meteorological experts warn that the icy grasp of Siberian cold fronts shows no signs of abating, heralding the onset of frost, freezing and the fog accompanying it, particularly in the wee hours of morning and at night.

In the face of such adversities, they urged citizens to be vigilant and cautious, and especially drivers, emphasizing being careful while venturing out.