Flights canceled, roads locked due to snowfall, storms across Turkey

Heavy snowfall and storms across Turkey paralyzed ordinary life, blocking roads and leading to the cancellation of many domestic and international flights. 
Turkish Airlines announced on Dec. 30 that it had cancelled a total of 258 scheduled flights due to bad weather conditions.

The national flight carrier announced that it had cancelled flights planned for Dec. 29, 30 and 31, urging its passengers to monitor the latest updates on official websites or call centers before their flights. 

Snow closed village roads in Bingöl and Elazığ in eastern Turkey, with transportation cut to 11 villages due to heavy snowfall. Some 270 village roads out 278 were reportedly reopened by governorate teams.
      
In Ağrı and Ardahan, large icicles emerged under roofs of buildings, while locals covered their vehicles with blankets and bags to prevent them from freezing. 

An avalanche covered part of the highway between Ardahan-Artvin before it was cleaned shortly after.

Heavy snowfall and storms also affected electricity distribution, especially in Istanbul.

The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry issued a statement on Dec. 29 following the massive blackout, saying it was related to the inclement weather conditions.

"The downpour and storms caused a temporary malfunction on electricity lines," said the statement, also noting that the blackout hit the Marmara provinces of Sakarya and Kocaeli.    

In Istanbul, the blackout hit the districts of Gaziosmanpaşa, Bayrampaşa, Fatih, Bağcılar, Sultangazi, Güngören, Büyükçekmece, Çatalca, Esenyurt, Bahçelievler, Beylikdüzü, Küçükçekmece, Bakırköy and Eyüp.
Many districts on the Asian side of Istanbul were also reportedly affected.

Local energy...