The Associated Press
ROME - Romans bewildered by their city's first big snowfall in 26 years used government-issued shovels Saturday to clear sidewalks and piazzas, and kitchen utensils to clear windshields.
The snow - as deep as 8 inches in some neighborhoods - made buses and taxis scarce and shut down tourist sites including the Colosseum. It also covered the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, blanketed ancient arches in the Roman Forum, and toppled some towering umbrella pine trees near the Vatican.
Saturday's snowstorm, coming a day after a light snowfall, combined for the biggest accumulations since 1986, and left many motorists stranded on the city's beltway and its ancient and narrow consular roads.
Volunteers for the national Civil Protection agency handed out 4,000 shovels in several main piazzas to Romans trying to clear their streets of snow and slush ahead of a forecast nighttime freeze.
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One woman in a hilly section of Rome used her toddler daughter's plastic beach trowel to scoop snow off the seat of the family's motor scooter. Others used their hands or spatulas to clear windshields. Rome's mayor ordered schools closed through Monday.
While the city struggled with the unusually cold and snowy weather, Italians to the north continued to dig out from more than 6 feet of snow and shiver in frigid temperatures.
The farm lobby Coldiretti estimated $65 million in crop losses already and warned that olive trees and grapevines would suffer significant damage. Olive oil and wine production are two mainstays of Italian agriculture.
