Snowstorm and Deep Freeze Sweep Bulgaria; Albania Hit; Turkey Blanketed; Greece Digs Out; + Michael Mann Is A Loser

Greece has never been colder during the month of April.

Snowstorm and Deep Freeze Sweep Bulgaria

Heavy snow and freezing temperatures gripped much of Bulgaria on Monday, as an April cold snap disrupted travel and put the country’s fruit harvest at serious risk.

Snowfall was reported over Shipka Pass, where slick, untreated roads and icy patches made driving hazardous, with visibility near at Republic Pass almost zero.

Heavy snow in the Sofia region has also stranded vehicles. On the Struma Motorway, conditions are treacherous, while on the Petrohan Pass drivers have been stuck in deep drifts. Overnight Monday, some 60 snowplows worked Sofia.

In Smolyan, conditions worse. Spring snow in the higher elevations here surpassed 40 cm (16 inches). Deputy Regional Governor Adrian Petrov warned of full winter conditions here, with overnight lows falling to -7C (19F).

In the mountains, a noteworthy -17.6C (0.32F) was reported at Musala Peak.

The April snows even stretched as far as the Black Sea: