Ariadne and the Acropolis of Athens
January 13, 2017
Photographer: Antonis Farmakopoulos
Summary Authors: Antonis Farmakopoulos; Jim Foster
Shown above is the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, covered with a 4 in (10 cm) veneer of snow. The snowy conditions arrived with Ariadne, a winter phenomenon named by the Hellenic Observatory of Athens, which has resulted in, in some cases, weather unheard of in Hellenic history. Bitter cold air associated with a strong Siberian high-pressure system has gripped eastern Europe and even southern Europe since the beginning of the New Year. In the elevated suburbs to the north of Athens more than 3 ft (1 m) of snow was recorded in a few locations, and temperatures dropped to 23 F (-5 C) -- very rare for this area of Greece. Additionally, shipping on rivers such as the Danube has been halted because of dangerous icing. Photo taken on January 10, 2017.