Rounds of snow, rain to batter Turkey in final days of 2016

By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather meteorologist

December 28,2016, 11:18:24AM,EST

 

 

Turkey will face additional bouts of coastal rain and interior snow in the final days of 2016, leading to travel disruptions and possible flooding.
In the wake of the storm in central Turkey on Tuesday, a pair of new storms will target the nation during the middle and latter part of this week.
Each will produce snow with rain at the coast across much of Turkey. The heaviest precipitation is expected in central and east-central Turkey.
Snowfall from the first storm may create slippery travel and disruptions to daily routines. A fresh 15-25 cm (6-10 inches) of snow will fall on Turkey’s capital of Ankara Wednesday night into Thursday.

Enough snow will fall to slow travel in and near Konya on Wednesday night with additional bouts of light snow possible into Saturday.
In Kayseri, light snow is expected on Wednesday night with more substantial snow expected from Thursday afternoon through Friday. A total of 15-30 cm (6-12 inches) is expected during this time.
Snow will bury the Taurus and Koroglu mountains with some locations receiving more than 30 cm (a foot) by the end of Thursday. Travel over the mountain passes will become difficult to even impossible during the heaviest snowfall.
The snow from Wednesday to Thursday will be quick-hitting and very heavy for a time over the Taurus Mountains, falling generally in a span of six to 12 hours.
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Over the Koroglu Mountains, the snow will fall most of the time from Wednesday to Thursday as cold air flowing over the milder Black Sea triggers sea-effect snow on the backside of the storm.
Travel-disrupting snow will fall as far east as Erzincan where heaviest snowfall is expected on Thursday night and Friday.
A few snow showers will occur in Erzurum from Thursday through Saturday; however, little or no accumulation is expected.
The mild water of the Black and Mediterranean seas will also keep each storm this week mostly a rain event for the immediate coast of Turkey. However, wet snowflakes could occasionally mix with the rain and be seen along the western coasts.

This includes Istanbul and Izmir, where gusty winds will certainly make it feel cold enough for snow. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will be held to 3 below zero to 7 below zero C (lower to middle 20s F) in Istanbul from Thursday through the weekend.
Along the southeastern coast of Turkey, each storm from Wednesday to Friday will likely unleash 25 to locally 75 mm (1 to 3 inches) of rain in Mersin, Adana and Iskenderun.
“Flash flooding could result, especially by Friday, with the ground already saturated from previous rain,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist John Gresiak said.
A bit of snow and coastal rain will persist over parts of Turkey on Saturday before a turn to quieter and chilly weather unfolds for the first few days of 2017.