European weather forecasters say about 2 meters (over 6 feet) of snow fell early Monday in parts of northern Italy’s alpine region, blocking roads and burying cars and houses in some areas.
From its Twitter account, the Alpine-Adriatic Meteorological Society posted video from Italy’s northeastern area of Comelico, near the border with Austria. Snow blocked the entrances to homes and buildings, with more snow falling in the small village of Sappada, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Italian firefighters said they carried out more than 100 operations to clear roads of snow.
In the Veneto region, the firefighters report they used a snow cat – a large, tracked vehicle built for traveling through snow — to rescue a family stuck in a remote area.
Forecasters say more snow is expected in the area region in the coming days.
