So much snow fell in the Westman Islands, south of Iceland, last weekend that islanders had trouble walking between houses and many were unable to make it to work. Residents say they have not seen so much snow in 40 years.
Local carpenter and photographer Óskar Fridriksson told Fréttabladid that last weekend comes close to the record snowfall of March 1968. “Older people still remember that day known as the Great Snow.”
“We began by driving people home who had been out on the town,” said member of the local search and rescue team Gudjón Sigtryggsson in regards to last weekend. “Then people had trouble getting to work and to Herjólfur [the ferry], so we were really busy. There was in fact so much snow that we got stuck in snowdrifts too, and we drive large vehicles.”
Hospital staff had to work unusually long shifts to cover for those who were stuck at home because of the snow. One car overturned but no one was harmed.
