18.02.2025 12:41
In Istanbul, where temperatures are expected to drop suddenly by 12 degrees, snow depth will reach up to 30 centimeters in some areas. Experts from the Kandilli Observatory stated that schools should be closed on Thursday and Friday, while emphasizing that the critical days will be Friday and Saturday.
A cold air wave coming from the Black Sea has dropped temperatures in Istanbul by up to 4 degrees today. While it is stated that the gradual decrease will continue in the coming days, experts indicate that snow depth may reach 30 centimeters in some areas.
CRITICAL DAYS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Speaking about the expected snowfall that will last for 4 days, Abdullah Macit, a Meteorological Forecast Specialist at the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, stated that the weather in Istanbul will be rainy today, and mixed rain and snow will be seen on Wednesday. Macit noted that they expect snowfall in Istanbul starting from Thursday, saying, "We expect the snowfall to continue intermittently until Monday. We predict that the snowfall will be intense on Friday and Saturday."
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP BY 12 DEGREES
Macit, who stated that the rainy system will come from the Black Sea, said, "We expect temperatures to drop by 8 to 12 degrees across the country. In Istanbul, temperatures will be between 0 and 2 degrees until Saturday. We expect the lowest temperature to drop to minus 1 to minus 2. We predict that the snowfall will be more effective in the Northern and Eastern regions of Istanbul."
"THURSDAY IS THE DAY OF THE MOST INTENSE COLD AIR MASS"
Adil Tek, a Meteorological Engineer at the Kandilli Observatory Meteorology Laboratory, indicated that the new air mass is colder than the one from 10 days ago, stating that the cold weather will start to be felt more from Wednesday. Tek explained that snowfall will begin to enter Istanbul on Thursday, saying, "Thursday will be the day when the cold air mass is the most intense. Snowfall will be effective in Istanbul on Friday and Saturday. It will decrease in effect on Sunday and leave Istanbul on Monday."
Emphasizing that snowfall will be effective throughout Istanbul, Tek stated, "Snowfall will first be effective on the Asian side. On Friday, all of Istanbul will receive snow equally. Snowfall will also be effective on the night from Friday to Saturday."
"THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SCHOOL HOLIDAYS"
Tek emphasized that snow depth may vary in Istanbul depending on the region, continuing as follows:
"Snow depth in Istanbul may be between 5 and 30 centimeters in some places. In points like Çamlıca and Karlıtepe, snow depth may reach 30 centimeters. We expect a snow depth that will allow snowball fights throughout Istanbul. There is a possibility of schools being closed on Thursday and Friday. Night temperatures may drop to minus 4 in districts far from the sea. It has been a long time since such a cold air wave has come. Sea water temperatures have also dropped. This situation has increased the likelihood of snowfall. We expect all of Istanbul to be white."
Meteorological Engineer Dr. Güven Özdemir also stated that snowfall is expected in all parts of the city. Özdemir mentioned that they expect snowfall in Istanbul on Thursday along with strong winds, saying, "Snowfall in Istanbul will increase its effect on Friday. Cold weather and snowfall will continue on Saturday and Sunday."
WARNED EACH DISTRICT OF ISTANBUL ONE BY ONE
Özdemir noted that they expect icing and frost events with the drop in temperatures, recording the following:
"There may be an average of 5 to 10 centimeters of snow in coastal areas. We expect it to be higher in elevated areas. We particularly predict that snowfall will be effective in the northern parts of the city. We expect more accumulation of snow in Başakşehir, Arnavutköy, Sarıyer, Beykoz, Şile, as well as in Çamlıca, Aydos, and Kayışdağı.
There will be intense snowfall with polar-origin strong cold air in Istanbul. The system is coming as a whole from the Black Sea. This system is fed by arctic cold air masses. Deep cold air will be effective in Istanbul. This situation has a high probability of causing continuous snowfall, sometimes strong winds leading to blizzards, and may result in schools being closed and matches in various parts of our country being postponed due to bad weather conditions.