The year 2014 was ending on a
very cold note across Italy as Arctic-inspired winds blew from
north to south down the peninsula, bringing unusually low
temperatures, snow and ice.
The cold front that kept the thermometer below zero all day
Tuesday in the normally temperate capital city of Rome was
forecast to linger much of the week, including New Year's Day on
Thursday.
Snow was expected in many parts of east-central and
southern Italy where it is not often seen, and civil protection
authorities began issuing freezing temperature warnings
extending through Wednesday.
Many parts of central Italy faced a deep freeze on Tuesday,
as temperatures dropped as low as -20 degrees Celsius in Abruzzo
while snow continued to fall and fierce winds caused train
delays along the Adriatic coast.
High winds blew a tarp onto electrical wires on the train
tracks between the Adriatic coastal towns of Ancona and
Falconara, delaying trains along the line.
Temperatures at the Gran Sasso Campo Imperatore ski resort
in Abruzzo fell to -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees F),
where lifts and runs remained closed as a snowstorm with
whipping winds battered the area.
Motorists on the highways in Abruzzo were urged by motorway
authorities to use caution when driving the region's A24 and A25
motorways through New Years Eve, as forecasts called for between
two to eight inches of snow.
Meanwhile, in the mountainous central region of Umbria,
light snowfall dusted much of the region but concentrated mainly
in the capital city of Perugia.
Further south of Rome in the Molise region, icy rain was
reported Tuesday triggering fears that highways would turn to
ice during the night as temperatures fell.
Strong winds through Naples and east into Caserta kept
firefighters occupied, chasing flying debris from torn rooftops,
broken trees and billboards.
Not even the island of Sardinia has been spared, as snow
was reported there on Tuesday.
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