Rome just got hit with a rare 'Beast from the East' snowstorm, and even priests at the Vatican came out to play

REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Roofs are seen covered in snow in downtown Rome, Italy February 26, 2018.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and it wasn't built for snow, either.

In fact, the Italian capital had seen white powder only once in the past 30 years, until Monday.

That's when thermostats at the Vatican dipped below freezing, shocking priests and nuns who got stuck in the snow. Even the army had to be called in to help clear the Roman streets, Reuters reported.

But the Romans aren't the only ones shaking in their bitterly-cold boots. Across Europe, people are dealing with a blast of cold air this week, as a so-called "Beast from the East" moves across Europe, bringing chilly, extreme weather in from Siberia.

Scientists are pointing out that it's all part of a disturbing trend: the polar jet stream has been acting weird lately, and the North Pole is actually warmer than parts of Europe this week.

Meteorologist Eric Holthaus called it a "shocking sign of our Earth's accelerating planetary fever."

Take a look at how Italy looks in the snow: