Rome is experiencing extreme temperatures this week as the mercury dips to -22 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Vancouver Sun is reporting that the ancient city has only seen one snowfall in the last 15 years in which snow remained on the ground of 24 hours.
The weather forced the cancellation of several flights between Rome and Milan and traffic was backed up on several motorways in central Italy. The interior ministry advised drivers to avoid large parts of central Italy.
A bus with 45 elderly passengers was stuck in snow for three hours in a mountain town near Naples and had to be evacuated by emergency workers.
A train from Ancona to Rome was also blocked for four hours by the snow near Perugia and eventually had to return to its point of departure.
Three people have died due to the extreme weather in recent days, including a homeless man found in the centre of Milan on Thursday.
Snow and freezing temperatures are expectedto continue into Saturday.
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