Winter finally hits the Baltics

  • 2008-03-27
  • Monika Hanley

RIGA- After many complaints about the lack of winter this year, the weather finally decided to cooperate, albeit a season too late. As many awaited the start of Spring, they were greeted instead by heavy snowfall, gusts of wind, and a steep drop in temperature.

Tonight, gusts of wind are expected to reach top speeds of 26 meters per second in northern Estonia. Foreign meteorological services predict even higher speeds as evening approaches.

To add to the heavy snowfall already seen today, meteorologists also expect the heavy snowfall to continue into tomorrow with temperatures below -7 degrees.

Commuters this morning were greeted with extra long commutes as workers scrambled to clear roads. Despite their best efforts, there were still a high numbers of accidents reported.

The Latvian Postal Service also urged people to be patient, and warned of delivery delays. Many narrow streets in Riga have yet to be cleaned and are impassable. Problems also emerged in rural areas where postal trucks became stuck in the snow further adding to the delays.