October 28, 1940: Snow and Frostbite Plagues Greek Troops

28 Oct 2026, 05:13 by Kosta Papadopoulos · Greek City Times

On 28 October 1940, as Italy invaded Greece, Greek soldiers began fighting not only the enemy but also severe weather across the Pindus Mountains, the Greek-Albanian border and the mountain passes of Epirus. Torrential rain, mud, snow and bitter cold made conditions increasingly difficult for troops during the Greco-Italian War.

Historical records from operations on 29 and 30 October document snowfall at Kiafa, at an altitude of approximately 2,400 metres, where Greek soldiers already struggled with the cold and found it difficult to hold their weapons with frozen hands.

Meanwhile, torrential rain fell at lower positions, including the Muka height. Soldiers became soaked and exhausted as they fought in exceptionally harsh conditions, with the weather varying dramatically between mountain peaks and lower parts of the front.

From autumn rain to winter blizzards

Meteorologist Stefanos Papanagiannakis preserved valuable evidence of the weather during the war. Mobilised as a reserve second lieutenant, he served at the front and later compiled observations from meteorological stations across the region.

In 1951, he gathered records from locations including Ioannina, Kastoria, Florina, Korçë and Moscopole.

According to an analysis of the data by the National Observatory of Athens, rainy autumn weather prevailed from the start of military operations through most of November, although snow also fell in mountainous areas.

Persistent rain and high humidity hindered troop movements, while snowfall on higher peaks created additional hazards for soldiers operating along the front.

December brought extreme cold

Conditions deteriorated dramatically in December, the coldest month of the winter of 1940–1941.

Temperatures fell to −5°C in Ioannina, −10.5°C in Kastoria and −17°C in Florina.

At Moscopole, approximately 1,200 metres above sea level, meteorological records registered −19°C on 30 December and −20°C on 14 January.

Papanagiannakis estimated that temperatures on snow-covered mountains above 1,500 metres could fall even lower, particularly on clear nights.

Meteorologists took these measurements at approximately 1.5 metres above ground level. Conditions close to the snow-covered surface could be even harsher.

Frostbite became a second battle

The extreme cold posed a direct threat to the soldiers’ lives and physical well-being. Troops spent hours wearing wet uniforms and boots, crossed snow-covered slopes and struggled with shortages of dry clothing and adequate protective equipment.

Figures cited by meteo.gr from Papanagiannakis’s work illustrate the severity of the conditions. Between 8 and 21 December, one Greek division recorded 1,148 deaths and injuries from military operations, compared with 2,711 cases of frostbite.

The figures highlight the devastating impact of winter weather on Greek forces during the campaign, when exposure to freezing temperatures added another major challenge to the fighting against Italian troops.

(Source: AMNA)

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