The setting sun illuminates the ancient Acropolis in Athens, Greece, after a rare heavy snowfall in the city on Tuesday.

The setting sun illuminates the ancient Acropolis in Athens, Greece, after a rare heavy snowfall in the city on Tuesday. / AFP via Getty Images

A blanket of snow covered portions of the Mediterranean basin after a winter storm swept through the region Tuesday night.

Snow is common in the mountain ranges outside of Athens, Greece, but rarely does it fall within the city limits. Children opted to skip online classes to play. Adults did the same, including Norwegian Ambassador Frode Overland Andersen, who shared a video of himself skiing near the Olympic Stadium in Filothi on Twitter, The Associated Press reported.

In Istanbul, children donned their pandemic masks and winter coats and braved the cold for a snowball fight outside of the Blue Mosque. The storm reached as far as Lebanon's ancient city of Baalbek and even Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, the snow also led to power outages and delays across the region. Roads in Turkey closed, which left some 1,400 vehicles stranded. In Greece, ferry services and flights were disrupted and three deaths were linked to the storm, the AP reported.

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A man walks on a snow-covered street during snowfall in a northern suburb of Athens.

A man walks on a snow-covered street during snowfall in a northern suburb of Athens. / AFP via Getty Images

The hill of Lycabettus during a rare heavy snowfall in the city of Athens on Tuesday.

The hill of Lycabettus during a rare heavy snowfall in the city of Athens on Tuesday. / AFP via Getty Images

Children throw snowballs in front of the Blue Mosque on Wednesday in Istanbul. An overnight cold front brought heavy snowfall to Istanbul in the early morning, blanketing the city, delaying morning commutes and disrupting ferry services.

Children throw snowballs in front of the Blue Mosque on Wednesday in Istanbul. An overnight cold front brought heavy snowfall to Istanbul in the early morning, blanketing the city, delaying morning commutes and disrupting ferry services. / Getty Images

Seagulls circle over the snow-covered wharf during a heavy snow storm in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul early on Wednesday.

Seagulls circle over the snow-covered wharf during a heavy snow storm in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul early on Wednesday. / AFP via Getty Images

People take pictures at the Pierre Loti Hill near the Eyup Sultan district in Istanbul after a heavy snowfall, on Tuesday.

People take pictures at the Pierre Loti Hill near the Eyup Sultan district in Istanbul after a heavy snowfall, on Tuesday. / AFP via Getty Images

The archaeological site of Baalbek is covered with snow in the eastern Lebanese Bekaa Valley, on Wednesday.

The archaeological site of Baalbek is covered with snow in the eastern Lebanese Bekaa Valley, on Wednesday. / AFP via Getty Images

A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall in the foreground and the Dome of the Rock in the background, as the snow starts to fall in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall in the foreground and the Dome of the Rock in the background, as the snow starts to fall in Jerusalem on Wednesday. / Reuters