Moscow Records Heaviest Snowfall in Over 200 Years

Moscow has recorded its heaviest snowfall in more than 200 years this month, according to meteorologists at Moscow State University.

AFP images from the city of around 13 million residents showed people struggling to navigate thick layers of snow in central districts. Commuter trains were delayed, and long traffic jams formed on Thursday evening, AFP reporters said.

“January was a cold and unusually snowy month in Moscow,” the university said on social media. By January 29, the Moscow State University Meteorological Observatory had recorded nearly 92 millimetres of precipitation, the highest level in 203 years.

In some parts of the capital, snow piles reached up to 60 centimetres (24 inches) on Thursday. Scientists noted that snowfall depth often exceeds precipitation measurements because snow contains large amounts of air.

The observatory said the record snowfall was caused by deep and extensive cyclones with sharp atmospheric fronts moving over the region.

“There was much more snow when I was a kid, but now we practically don’t have any at all,” said Pavel, a 35-year-old bartender and Moscow resident, describing a sense of “emptiness” during the dark winter.

Earlier this month, Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka region declared a state of emergency after a massive snowstorm partially paralyzed its main city. Images circulating online showed snow piled up to the second floor of buildings, with residents digging out buried cars and roads.