Any reports from Europe on the horrible winter storms that are affecting much of the continent?

Here's an article. It sounds really awful. http://www.repubblica.it/2005/l/sezi...ltromorto.html

alternatively

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1788621.stm

I agree with cmt - It does sound horrible.

Terrible indeed with many deaths from accidents and people dying of the cold (14 in Poland from what I read). Italy is blanketed in fog, Florence has had more snow than they have had in two decades. Read this morning that the Scandanavian countries are really having a problem. Trains are down, many throught the countries without power. All of Europe is really having a terrible winter.

-13°c yesterday near Dijon with a shower of icy snow! Fortunately much "warmer" today, the ice has melt (4°c).

Most of the UK is clear so don't panic if you are heading this way.

The media need sensations to report, so they're turning pretty seasonal weather into somthing close to a desaster. There is snow and wind in winter, sometimes more, sometimes less ;-) Perfect weather in Bavaria, no blizzards.

Perfect winter weather in Eastern Germany too. Agree with logos, the media need sensations to sell their products.

We enjoy the snow, had a gorgeous sunny day yesterday. Today it is clouded and we had some snow showers already. Temps 20 F at the moment.

42 in Munich, be careful the roads might get slippery when the warm rain comes later today.

Yesterday was a perfect skiing day in Switzerland, crystal clear skies but bitterly cold. The ski resorts were packed. Last night, it started to warm up and it snowed. This morning it rained. All of our beautiful snow is now soaking wet and heavy. However, the weather forecast has snow this week.

I'd say we've had a very nice winter so far. Lots of snow but no major blizzards.

"the Scandanavian countries are really having a problem"

No, not really. Those blizzards touched only southern Sweden and Denmark. And there are blizzards every winter, so they are sort of expected. Last winters storms in southern Sweden were way worse.

It is always the falling trees that cause the worst accidents. And then car accidents, of course.

Hm, now I am yet more confused ... the sun came out and it is another gorgeous day. We have 26 F here at the moment.

logos and schuler, hope the rain doesn't hit us later this evening!

48 and rising, a few clouds in the sky and the snow is melting. Hope it doesn't rain at midnight, keep finger crossed!. It will warm up considerably within the next few hours, Ingo.

Happy New Year!

The word of the day here in our town: slush! Three degrees as of 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon.

Hm, still under 30 F here ... it's a meteorological phenomenon called Bohemian wind. So far no rain and I hope we don't get any ...

Happy New Year to y'all!

Ingo

I thought Bohemian wind resulted from mixing beer and cabbage.

Western Switzerland had rain falling on top of snow, everything froze - nasty until that thaws out again. Of course, above-average number of accidents, and skiers are ticked off about the ice layer. That's as of this evening Jan. 31st Swiss time.

WK

Guten Morgen 2006!

Well, it rained, snowed and now the sun is out. The roads were icy last night and we actually found a young man while driving home, totally inebriated, sitting in wet snow on the edge of a fast road. He couldn't walk, stand or say a complete sentence. He was lucky he didn't get run over.

We called the police because we didn't know what to do with him. The police got mad at us because they didn't like being used as a taxi service.

Quite a way to greet the new year.

Guten Morgen und ein Gesundes Neues Jahr!

schuler, not a nice start into 2006! But I hope you enjoyed the celebrations, though.

It's been a cold night here, no rain, thank god! Now it's cloudy, and the temp is slightly above 32 F/0 C, the snow is getting wet.

Hello and Happy New Year! schuler, the Rothenthurm webcam shows a gorgeous day! Hi, Ingo -- is there a good Dresden webcam? We are fogged in here. J.