A severe cold snap swept Europe on 28 January 2005, disrupting road and air traffic from Spain to Russia and leaving hundreds of people stranded for days in freezing conditions.
In southern Italy, some 200 soldiers were sent to the A3 highway between Salerno and Reggio Calabria after heavy snowfall trapped hundreds of motorists for close to 48 hours. Authorities drew sharp criticism for the delay; drivers reported going two full days without food, water, or emergency assistance. Local hospitals treated 11 people for exposure, and hotels and schools were opened as temporary shelters.
Spain endured its coldest stretch in 20 years, with 27 mountain passes closed and roughly 200 roads blocked, isolating villages across the country. Rail service between Galicia and the Basque Country was also suspended.
Moscow received more than 20 centimeters of snow in 24 hours, requiring thousands of plows and sweepers and causing flight diversions at several airports, including aircraft carrying part of President Vladimir Putin's delegation returning from Poland. Vienna logged 30 centimeters in a single day, a record since 1969. Germany's Albstadt-Degerfeld registered a seasonal low of minus 27 degrees Celsius overnight, and one homeless person died of cold in Lyon, France.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in January 2005, in its own words.