BRR: “A raging snow storm that blanketed most of Greece over the weekend also continued into the early morning hours on Monday, plunging the country into sub-zero temperatures. Public transport buses were at a standstill on Monday in the wider Athens area, while ships remained in ports, public services remained closed, and schools and courthouses in the more severely-stricken prefectures were also closed.”

UPDATE: Reader Gregg Reynolds — no relation — emails:

I am in Istanbul currently (watching Wolf Blitzer live on CNN International at 2 AM, actually) where we experienced some of the same heavy snows over the weekend that hit Greece. I was puzzled by the “sub-zero” reference, though, since it definitely didn’t get that cold here.

If you look at historical data, say at Weather Underground and read the last few paragraphs of the story you cited you’ll see the “sub-zero” temperatures are Celsius, not Fahrenheit. Cold for the Balkans, but not as bad as it sounds to an American audience.

Good point. And that might come as a comfort to the folks chilling in Vietnam, too! Just remember: When it’s hot, it’s climate. But when it’s cold, it’s just weather!