Blizzard covers Spain in white and brings Madrid to a standstill

A man skis while crossing the Plaza Mayor during a heavy snowfall in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. An unusual and persistent blizzard has blanketed large parts of Spain with snow, freezing traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or in train stations and airports that had suspended all services as the snow kept falling on Saturday. The capital, Madrid, and other parts of central Spain activated for the first time its red weather alert, its highest, and called in the military to rescue people from cars vehicles trapped in everything from small roads to the city’s major thoroughfares. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

An unusual and persistent blizzard has blanketed large parts of Spain with snow, freezing traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or in railway stations and airports which suspended services as the snow kept falling on Saturday.

Madrid and other parts of central Spain for the first time activated a red weather alert and called in the military to rescue people from vehicles trapped on everything from small roads to the capital’s major thoroughfares.