Italy has been given a preview of the upcoming winter season with the first snowfall in Milan and Venice and plunging temperatures throughout the peninsula.
After a mostly mild autumn, an Arctic cold front hit Italy at the weekend which brought rain, storms, high winds and snow even at lower altitudes.
The situation continued into Monday when Venice and Milan awoke to a sprinkling of snow while in the mountains between Florence and Bologna a heavy snowfall tied up motorway traffic.
Experts said snow in Venice was unusual for November and was the result of exceptional sub-freezing temperatures.
Aside from Venice, snow in the northeastern Veneto region created road problems in the provinces of Verona, Padua and, especially, Treviso.
Ample snowfall was also reported in the northern Trentino-Alto Adige region, while down in Sicily a major storm warning has been posted in Catania.
Skiers will be pleased by the 30cm of snow which fell in Courmayeur during the night between Sunday and Monday, while 40cm fell on Mt.Cervinia.
After being isolated for the whole weekend, ferry and hydrofoil service was back in operation for most of the small islands around Sicily, several of which suffered extensive damage from high winds and seas, especially the ports of Ginostra on Stromboli and Acquacalda on Lipari.
Authorities have urged all those planning to travel to keep informed of road conditions and weather forecasts and to keep chains in their cars if they are going to areas where snow is expected.
Skies are expected to clear over much of the north on Tuesday and Wednesday, although temperatures will remain below seasonal levels, while rain is forecast for the rest of Italy with snow possible as low as 800m in some areas.
High winds will continue to batter southern Italy and the islands in the first half of the week.
