Snow plays havoc across Europe

Heathrow's boss announced Wednesday he would give up his hefty bonus this year after the world's busiest international airport was crippled by snowy conditions. Air and train travel throughout Europe finally began to return to normal.(Photo courtesy: AP)

Temperatures have picked up in Britain and about 70 percent of Heathrow's planned departures -- some 900 flights -- are expected to operate Wednesday. Airlines are trying to clear a backlog of canceled flights, after iced-over runways and planes triggered days of chaos and misery for those seeking to travel elsewhere for Christmas. (Photo courtesy: AP)

Heavy criticism of the airport's inability to cope with snow prompted Colin Matthews, the chief executive of operator BAA, to announce he would forgo his bonus and keep his focus on "keeping people moving and rebuilding confidence in Heathrow." It was not immediately clear what Matthew's bonus amounts to, but BAA said his salary and bonuses last year came to 944,000 pounds ($1.46 million).(Photo courtesy:AP)

A Eurostar train travels enroute to St Pancras International station in London, through the snow-covered countryside near Maidstone in Kent, south east England on December 22, 2010. The race was on at snowbound European airports Wednesday to clear the backlog of stranded passengers in time for Christmas as weather conditions eased slightly. (Photo courtesy:AFP)

View dated December 22, 2010 of the Centre Pompidou-Metz museum with its partly broken roof (between pillars) in Metz, eastern France. The membrane of the chinese-shaped roof broke for the second time within a month due to heavy snow falls. Weather reports said snow could persist in Europe. (Photo courtesy: AFP)

Passengers queue outside Terminal 3, to have their boarding passes checked as disruption continues due to bad weather leading to the cancellation of some flights at London's Heathrow Airport, Wednesday, December, 22, 2010. (Photo courtesy: AP)

Airport officials placed two tents outside Terminal 3 to handle overflow passengers, but crowds were smaller and only one was used. Computer screens there showed 11 out of about 50 incoming flights had been canceled.

Workers defrost a plane at Heathrow Airport in London, Monday, Dec. 20, 2010. Snow and freezing temperatures continued to cause holiday travel chaos for road, rail and air passengers in Britain and much of Europe Monday, raising fears that many will not get home in time for Christmas. (Photo courtesy: AP)

Passengers wait for their flight at Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport in London, Monday, Dec. 20, 2010. Snow and freezing temperatures continued to cause holiday travel chaos for road, rail and air passengers in Britain and much of Europe Monday, raising fears that many will not get home in time for Christmas. (Photo courtesy:AP)

A young boy reads his book as passengers wait in the departures area of Terminal 3 at London's Heathrow Airport as travel chaos continues due to the adverse weather Tuesday Dec. 21 2010. Major delays and cancellations persisted Tuesday at European airports including London's Heathrow, and on the Eurostar train link, leaving thousands stranded across Europe as Christmas approached. Predicted snowfall at Heathrow did not materialize overnight, allowing cleanup crews to intensify their work, but more than half the flights at Europe's busiest international hub were expected to be canceled.(Photo courtesy: AP)

The snow also affected Ireland's most famous rock band. U2 stars Bono and the Edge had their return from a gig in Australia disrupted and ended up having to take a four-hour train journey to Dublin after landing in Cork. Fellow passengers largely left them alone, thinking they were members of a U2 "tribute" band. (phot courtesy:AP)

Blizzards and freezing temperatures shut down runways, train tracks and highways across Europe, disrupting flights and leaving shivering drivers stranded on roadsides.

In this pic, tourists glide on cross-country skis past trees through a completely snow-covered landscape near Oberhof, eastern Germany, as heavy snowfalls made transport conditions difficult in the eastern and the western part of the country. (AFP Photo)

A man swims at the unheated outdoor lido on Parliament Hill in North London on December 18, 2010. Despite heavy snow falling on the previous day, some people were still braving the ice-cold temperatures. (AFP Photo)

A tree covered with snow is pictured in front of a streetlight on December 17, 2010 in Godewaersvelde, northern France after heavy snowfalls. Thirty-two French departments, or administrative regions, have been warned on December 16, that they face snow and ice over the next 24 hours, with up to five centimetres forecast for the Paris region. The French government was accused last week of being unprepared for the sudden snowstorm and this time round is taking more precautions, with an interministerial crisis cell up and running since early December 16. (AFP Photo)

A man walks in front of the Notre-Dame de Reims cathedral as snow falls heavily on December 18, 2010 in Reims, northern France. Heavy snow disrupted European air travel Saturday and stranded hundreds of drivers in their cars as far south as Italy as a white Christmas appeared increasingly likely for many places. (AFP Photo)

People walk in a park after a snowfall in Sofia on December 14, 2010. (AFP Photo)

Skiers make their way through the snow-covered landscape near the central German town of Sonnenberg on December 18, 2010. Most parts of the country are buried under snow, causing traffic chaos and closing schools in several areas. (AFP Photo)

Air passengers wait for flights at the airport the central German city of Frankfurt am Main on December 18, 2010. Frankfurt airport, Germany's busiest, cancelled about 170 flights due to severe winter weather across Europe, an airport spokesman said. (AFP Photo)

Cars and trucks make their way through a completely snow-covered landscape on December 14, 2010 near Oberhof, eastern Germany, as heavy snowfalls made transport conditions difficult in the eastern and the western part of the country. (AFP Photo)