Snowfall paralyzes life in Istanbul

Heavy snowfall ahead of New Year's has paralyzed life in Istanbul as some flights and ferries were canceled, metrobuses were delayed and side roads remained inaccessible despite continued traffic on the city's main roads. 

Turkish Airlines and low-cost Turkish carrier Pegasus canceled 221 flights scheduled for Dec. 31, 2015, and Jan. 1, 2016, due to the snow storm. 

A snow team was formed at Istanbul Atatürk Airport which continuously monitored runways against frosting and engaged in de-icing work to keep the airfields useable. 

DHA Photo
City ferries were also affected by the weather conditions as all ferries running between Istanbul's European and Asian coasts were canceled. 

The Istanbul Fast Ferries Company, colloquially known as "?DO," also canceled a number of its ferries between Istanbul and the northwestern town of Band?rma. 

While Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality announced ahead of the snow that the city's 52-kilometer metrobus route would function throughout the snowfall, but the buses are currently experiencing delays due to a metrobus accident in the European suburb of Küçükçekmece. 

DHA Photo
The municipality's snow storm briefing released on Dec. 28 explained that 1,114 vehicles and heavy machinery had been allocated to keep 4,000 kilometers of road open in the event of snow. Moreover, some 240,000 tons of salt and 1,290 tons of chemical solution have been stored for use in clearing the roads.

While the precautions were effective in keeping the city's main transportation routes accessible, side roads remained largely inaccessible as vehicles without chains on their wheels were stuck on icy roads. 

The General Directorate of Meteorology released a snow warning for...