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Arctic Freeze Grounds Kittilä Flights, Stranding Thousands in Finnish Lapland

De-icing limits at -37C temperatures forced cancellations during a cold snap spanning northern Europe.

Overview

  • Temperatures at Kittilä fell to about -37C on Sunday, with the Finnish Meteorological Institute forecasting near -40C on Monday.
  • Finland’s public broadcaster Yle reported that the extreme cold made aircraft de-icing and ground operations exceptionally difficult.
  • Some flights to Manchester and London were scheduled for Monday afternoon, though forecasts still indicated roughly -28C at Kittilä.
  • In Germany, heavy snowfall led Deutsche Bahn to suspend long-distance services in the north, causing widespread delays and cancellations.
  • Authorities kept North Rhine-Westphalia schools closed for online classes on Monday, and Baltic officials urged postponing non-essential travel with a snow alert in western Latvia.