Approximately 26,000 Moscow residents experience power outage.
Heck of a Storm 🌨️
Last night, a freakish weather event hit the Moscow region, particularly the northern parts, with unseasonal conditions for early May. A cyclone brought wet snow, wind, and ice on the lines, causing numerous trees to topple over. Consequently, numerous power outages were reported in several populated areas.
Industry professionals from Rosseti, Mosoblenergo, and the emergency restoration service are currently on the job, working tirelessly to restore power. Unfortunately, no estimate has been provided regarding the restoration timeframe.
According to the latest reports, a whopping 237 power lines and 4,400 transformer stations were knocked out by this unexpected storm. The hardest-hit cities were Taldom, Dmitrov, and Sergiev Posad.
Moscow and its surrounding areas experienced snowfall on May 2. Evgeny Tishkovets, a leading weather specialist at the "Fobos" center, shared via his Telegram channel that in just 36 hours, 70% of the monthly rainfall was recorded. The unusual cold caused a snow cover to form, with snowdrifts reaching as high as 7 cm in the city and 15 cm in the northern regions, such as Klin and Dmitrov. Tishkovets predicted that the snow in Moscow will vanish by May 3, and in the most snow-covered northern areas, it would take until May 5 to melt away.
Due to the inclement weather, the Moscow Department of Transportation advised drivers to either sport winter tires or opt for public transport. They also warned citizens about possible local transit delays. The snowfall in Moscow is projected to end by midday.
Interestingly, this storm was caused by a sudden cold front brought on by a cyclone moving eastward, contradicting the recent warm temperatures that recently reached 27°C[5]. This snowstorm marks the first recorded May 2 snow cover in 75 years at Moscow’s weather station.
Although predicted melt duration was not mentioned in the reports, the Phobos weather center suggested that icy conditions could continue through May 3 before warmer weather returns on May 4[1][3]. This indicates a swift melt within 1-2 days post-storm, with localized ice lingering briefly. The heavy snowfall took place alongside record rainfall the previous day, contributing to 71% of May’s typical precipitation within just 36 hours[1][3].
- The cyclone moving eastward brought wet snow, wind, and ice, causing numerous tree outages and power outages in several populated areas, including Dmitrov.
- After the storm, industry professionals from Rosseti, Mosoblenergo, and the emergency restoration service are working tirelessly to restore power, but no estimate has been provided regarding the restoration timeframe.
- According to the latest weather forecasting, snowfall in Moscow is projected to end by midday, and the icy conditions could continue through May 3 before warmer weather returns on May 4, indicating a swift melt within 1-2 days post-storm.
- This sudden cold front caused the first recorded May 2 snow cover in 75 years at Moscow’s weather station, contradicting the recent warm temperatures that recently reached 27°C.
