Cold Snap

Hundreds Die in Europe Freeze

Epic snow blankets the continent.

A wave of cold and snow has blanketed much of Europe, killing hundreds of people, trapping thousands more, and holding up travel across the continent. Eastern Europe has been hit hardest, with 131 reported dead in Ukraine alone. London’s Heathrow Airport was forced to cancel more than 600 flights on Sunday, and Bosnian helicopters have been put into action in order to access villages hit with up to six feet of snow. Italy experienced a blackout, and residents of Rome are furious with their mayor’s slow response to icy roads, even calling for his ouster. In the Netherlands, however, the deep freeze offers a rare chance to hold a traditional 125-mile skating race through the nation’s canals that has been called off since 1997 due to thin ice.