This is a photo account of the unusually heavy snowfall in the Athens area -and the rest of Southern Greece- in 2002. It lasted for three days and nights (between January 4-7) with short breaks, with temperatures as low as -5^oC, or even less locally. In my area the snow layer was 20-50cm deep depending on the exposure, completely burying many low plants in the garden.
 
Amazingly, islands like Paros & Naxos were all white during the same days, with several villages isolated due to snow even in Samos. Ferries were not allowed to sail in Southern Aegean Sea due to strong north winds reaching Force 10.
 
It is interesting to note that snowfall was nil during the previous winter. In fact, the last time there was a fair amount of snow in the area was about ten years ago -but much less than this time. Furthermore, there was no rainfall at all during last September & October, with summer-like conditions until early November.
 
Perhaps the recent cold wave has been a weather gesture to underline the European merging right after the launch of the Euro...
 
These pages contain photos from my home at Laskou Str. 30 and its surroundings in Papagou (an Athens suburb 5km NE from the heart of Athens), so my friends in Greece & abroad can have a glimpse of how things were here during that extremely rare event. Most photos were taken on the third day; some are coupled with identical views taken in the past, to show the rare volume of snow.
 
TNS 7.1.02

Please click on the square icons below for gallery sections: 

	Laskou 30
	The streets
	The square

L30 view from south on snowfall Day #3

The same last September 
 
All photos taken by TNS with HP C30 digital camera (original size 1152x872 pixels).
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