While many parts of North America enjoy an unusually balmy winter, a deadly weeklong blast of frigid Siberian air has swept across Eastern Europe, trapping thousands of people in their homes. Emergency crews are struggling to clear snow and deliver badly needed supplies, as the death toll rises and weather forecasters warn that temperatures could plunge further in some areas early next week. Here, a look at the bitter freeze, by the numbers:
250
Death toll as of Friday morning, up from 114 the night before
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1,248
Patients admitted to hospitals for hypothermia and frostbite in the Ukraine, where the cold had killed 101 people by Friday
2,000
Heated tents set up to provide hot food for homeless Ukrainians
Negative 58
The temperature, in degrees below zero Fahrenheit, recorded in parts of Kazakhstan, which was hit with the lowest temperatures on record
11,000
Serbians believed to be trapped in their homes in remote villages
16.5
Feet of snow blocking roads in Serbia, barring relief workers from reaching snowed-in villagers
16
Towns experiencing their coldest temperatures in 100 years
75
Years since Azerbaijan has experienced weather this cold
27
Years since Italy experienced a week as cold as this one. Rome got a rare snowfall, and eight inches fell in spots on the Mediterranean island of Corsica.
112
Maximum wind speeds (in miles per hour) recorded in Slovenia
30
Percent drop in natural gas deliveries from Russia to many European countries (which get nearly half their natural gas from Russia), due to a rise in domestic demand as Russians try to keep warm
Sources: Associated Press, Bloomberg, Reuters, Wash. Post
