A Rare Snow Day Turned Vatican Into A Real Heaven

A rare whiteout in Rome and in Vatican City State delivered a great photo opportunity for Romans and tourists. The snowfall was a result of an extreme cold front called the "Beast from the East" that hit Europe and the UK at the end of February 2018. The Arctic blast continued to Rome and made a rare event. Six years have passed since it last snowed in Rome. Snow is an exceptional event in the city's Mediterranean climate and although it was gone almost as soon as it came, it disrupted transport, shut down schools and urged the authorities to call in the army to help clear the streets.

But then again, the Vatican in the snow is heavenly. Here is what a lucky tourist captured.

When it only snows once every six years or so, you have to make the most of the flurries. So after a rare winter storm covered Rome in the white fluff, the priests and nuns of the Vatican took full advantage. In St. Peter's Square, a snowball fight broke out between the seminarians from the Pontifical North American College and those of the English College.

The wintertime happiness spread to the city’s other historic monuments. Although major tourists attractions shut down because of the snow, some intrepid Romans and tourists ventured through the powder to photograph the historic buildings dusted in white.
On the whole, Rome received around 1.5 inches of snow. The most recent time the city reported heavy snowfall was February 2012.