Heavy snow shuts down Eiffel Tower weeks after abnormal rainfall soaked Paris

Paris and its suburbs were blanketed with snow overnight.

ByABC News
February 7, 2018, 9:17 AM

—PARIS, France -- After drying out from near-record rainfall that swamped Paris last month, the French capital awoke this morning to a white blanket of snowfall thick enough to shut down the famed Eiffel Tower.

Around 5 inches of snow has fallen there in the past 24 hours, according to French official weather service Meteo France.

PHOTO: A woman walks along the snowy banks of the Seine River in Paris, Feb. 7, 2018.
A woman walks along the snowy banks of the Seine River in Paris, Feb. 7, 2018.

The Eiffel tower closed Tuesday because of "weather conditions" and is expected to remain closed today, according to its official Twitter account.

The Eiffel Tower closes from time to time because of strong wind gusts, for instance, but remained open during last month’s flooding.

PHOTO: Snow-covered trees are seen near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, as winter weather with snow and freezing temperatures arrive in France, Feb. 7, 2018.
Snow-covered trees are seen near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, as winter weather with snow and freezing temperatures arrive in France, Feb. 7, 2018.

Bus services in the French capital were suspended Tuesday night and remained halted this morning, according to Paris police. Transport authorities hoped to get the buses back up and running throughout the day. The Paris metro and tramway systems, however, are functioning normally, police said.

PHOTO: A picture taken on Feb. 7, 2018 in Paris, shows the snow covered Sacre Coeur basilica.
A picture taken on Feb. 7, 2018 in Paris, shows the snow covered Sacre Coeur basilica. Exceptionally heavy snowfall brought public transport in Paris and surrounding regions to a near halt on February 7, spelling misery for commuters after hundreds were forced to abandon their cars to sleep in emergency shelters overnight. / AFP PHOTO / JOEL SAGETJOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

Traffic at the two Paris international airports of Charles de Gaulle and Orly was not significantly affected by the snowfall, with only a few delays, according to a spokesman. But road access to the airports was disrupted.

Authorities are asking travelers to come to Paris airports as early as possible.

PHOTO: Tourists and Parisians walk in the snow next to the Louvre Pyramids in Paris, Feb. 7, 2018.
Tourists and Parisians walk in the snow next to the Louvre Pyramids in Paris, Feb. 7, 2018.

The greater Paris region of Ile-de-France was especially affected by the heavy snowfall Tuesday night. Traffic jams forced hundreds of people to abandon their cars and sleep in emergency shelters overnight, according to authorities, who urged people to leave their cars at home today in order to avoid traffic jams.

PHOTO: A man skis on a snow covered street of Montmartre, Feb. 7, 2018, following heavy snowfall in Paris.
A man skis on a snow covered street of Montmartre, Feb. 7, 2018, following heavy snowfall in Paris. Exceptionally heavy snowfall brought public transport in Paris and surrounding regions to a near halt on Feb. 7, spelling misery for commuters after hundreds were forced to abandon their cars to sleep in emergency shelters overnight.

Rail traffic is severely disrupted this morning in the Paris suburbs, with less than half of train services operating, according to transport authorities. Moreover, school buses were not running in several areas near Paris.

PHOTO: A metro sign is covered with snow at the Avenue de la Grande Armee in Paris, Feb. 7, 2018.
A metro sign is covered with snow at the Avenue de la Grande Armee in Paris, Feb. 7, 2018.

Snowfall is not expected in Paris over the next 48 hours, but cold temperatures are likely to freeze the existing layer in place, leading to even more dangerous conditions, according to Méteo France.

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