Photo: http://tass.ru
The Mediterranean cyclone that hit Moscow and central regions of Russia at the end of last week brought huge amounts of snow. In December, 2.5 months of precipitation has already fallen in the Russian capital.
In recent days, in Moscow and the Moscow Region snow drifts literally reached 25 - 30 cm in a day in some neighborhoods. According to TASS, about 14,000 units of various snow-cleaning equipment and 120,000 workers were sent to clean the streets of the capital from the snow. In Kolomna near Moscow, for example, 33 cm of precipitation fell.
As previously reported by the leading specialist of the Phobos meteorological center Evgeny Tishkovets, only for a day almost a third of the monthly norm of precipitation was recorded in Moscow, and even more (50%) in the region.
As the media report, the record maximum, which was recorded in 1941, was broken on December 18. There hasn't been such a snowfall since the Second World War. “Snow Armageddon has begun! The heaviest snowfall, going for a double record! Can't see a thing...” Yevgeny Tishkovets said in an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets.
According to RBC, more than 200 flights have been cancelled or delayed at Moscow's airports due to unfavorable weather conditions. Moscow's air harbors are cleaning runways and aircraft are being treated with de-icing compound.
There was a widespread traffic jam on the roads. The media has published numerous pictures where cars parked near houses are completely covered in snow, streets are covered with snow, and bushes and trees look like bizarre figures from science-fiction movies. A number of Telegram channels showed how Moscow residents were shoveling snow drifts and pushing stalled cars, while in Lefortovo, some video footage showed passersby helping an ambulance which had gotten stuck in a snowdrift. Last weekend, a yellow level of weather danger was in effect in the Moscow Region.
According to Meteorovest, after the heavy snowfall over the weekend, the weather in Central Russia will stabilize and snow is expected only in spots. But since Wednesday, a new cyclone will start to act, which will bring snowfalls, turning into rain and freezing rain, as daytime temperatures will range from -2... to +3 °C. Weather forecasters do not exclude that there could also be icy rains in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the next few days, as temperatures will rise to 0 and even +2 °C during the day.
In such weather, when the elements of nature are raging, it is needed to be extremely careful and watchful while outdoors. In particular, it is not recommended to get close to snowplows, and even more so to cross the road in front of them, because the drivers of these machines have a very poor view.
According to Moskovsky Komsomolets, citing Vladimir Fedorovich, chairman of the executive committee of the Rosssoyuzspas, the belt of a snowplow is particularly dangerous. In addition, the special equipment involved in snow removal is heavy and traumatic, cannot stop immediately. Recently, there was an accident in Kamchatka in Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka, when a snow bucket was dumped on a boy in the yard of a house, where he was cleaning the sidewalk. It is a good thing that passersby rushed to his aid in time to free the child from under the blockage of snow, the boy got away with fright and bruises. But such a case, unfortunately, as confirmed by Fedorovich, is not an isolated one, and “similar things have happened in other cities.”
On such days, people should be especially careful at crossing the streets, as the braking distance of cars is much longer on the knurled snow. Experts also draw attention to the fact that you need to look not only under your feet, but also up when you walk past the houses, because weighty icicles which can fall off at any time are hanging from the eaves of many roofs.