Greece Braces for Heavy Snowfall From Storm ''Sophia''

A new low-pressure weather system dubbed ”Sophia” is heading south from the polar ice cap and is expected to reach most areas throughout the nation of Greece on Thursday.
The new bout of wintry weather follows the storm named ”Raphael”, which brought low temperatures and snow to many parts of Greece during New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day. ”Sophia” is expected to bring very low temperatures, strong winds and heavy snowfall across Greece beginning on Wednesday evening, with the bad weather affecting nearly every corner of the country on Thursday.
According to the National Observatory of Athens’ (NOA) weather service Meteo, ”Sophia” will affect the country until Saturday, with below-freezing temperatures in many parts of central and northern Greece.
On Thursday, the regions of Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly and Sterea are expected to see snowfall, which may be heavy at times, with not only higher altitudes but even lowlands receiving large amounts of snow.
According to meteorologist Giannis Kallianos, the region of West Macedonia is expected to record temperatures as low as -17 degrees Celsius (1 degree Fahrenheit), when the skies clear, during the night on Thursday to early morning on Friday.
Drivers across central and northern Greece are advised to be cautious as heavy snowfall is expected to occur in many areas during Thursday. Motorists are urged to avoid driving in difficult conditions and on poor roads, to keep a safe distance between vehicles, and to stay in their car if it is immobilized for any reason.
Snow will fall in areas which do not typically receive any, such as the mountains of the Ionian islands and the islands of the northern and central Aegean Sea. The forecast also suggests that the northern suburbs of Athens which have an altitude of over 300 meters (980 feet) will see snow on Thursday.
As for Thessaloniki, the city is expected to face low temperatures and frost, with a high possibility of snowfall on Thursday.
Temperatures have already been plummeting across the country ever since Greece was first affected by the storm ”Raphael”, which brought heavy rainfall and storms to most parts of the nation. Snow fell in many areas across the mainland, such as Karpenisi and Trikala.


Temperatures are not expected to rise significantly over the next several days, especially in Northern Greece, where frost will persist at least until the beginning of next week.