Torrential snowfall engulfs Moscow cityscape.
Frozen Tundra in Spring: Unprecedented Snowstorm Hits Moscow in Late May
Hey there, curious cat! Brace yourself for a wild weather ride that hit Moscow back in springtime, 2025. The city was bombarded with an unheard-of, late-spring snowfall on May 1-2, setting a 116-year- old record with a whopping 24 mm of precipitation in just 12 hours, a mind-boggling 71% of May’s typical monthly rainfall!
The snowstorm caused a frenzy, toppling trees, prompting traffic jams, and leading to infrastructure damage across the region. It was like witnessing a 35^{th} of February snowfall in the middle of April!
"Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful" Meteorologist Evgeny Tishkovets reported on his Telegram channel that the heavy snow started in the capital city at exactly midnight. In the heart of Moscow, precipitation reached 14mm at VDNH and Balchug, and 11mm in Tusino. Naturally, we sans snowplows had to bundle up like it was winter all over again.
Now let's shed some light on the societal impact:
- Digging Out from the Dark: Over 26,000 people in the Moscow region were left in the cold when power outages struck, affecting more than 400 settlements.
- Street Pick-Up Sticks: Dense snowfall led to widespread tree collapses, causing traffic chaos and damaging vehicles.
- Slow Rolling: The deluge of snowy misery brought traffic congestion and treacherous road conditions. Yep, makes rush hour look like a walk in the park!
Although today’s conditions have lightened up, cleanup efforts are ongoing. Authorities have kept their snowy weather alerts limited to the initial disruptions on May 2^{nd}. It's time to put on your snow boots, shovel some concrete, and get back to the Moscow grind!
- On May 1-2, 2025, Moscow experienced an unprecedented snowstorm, setting a 116-year-old record for precipitation with 24 mm of snowfall in just 12 hours, accounting for 71% of May's typical monthly rainfall.
- Meteorologist Evgeny Tishkovets reported on his Telegram channel that the heavy snow started in Moscow at midnight, with 14mm of snowfall at VDNH and Balchug, and 11mm in Tusino.
- The snowstorm caused widespread damage, including power outages affecting over 26,000 people in the Moscow region and traffic chaos due to fallen trees and vehicles damaged by dense snowfall.
- Authorities issued weather alerts following the initial disruptions on May 2nd, encouraging residents to prepare for ongoing cleanup efforts and treacherous road conditions.
