In the final days of the New Year holidays, record-breaking snowfall struck Moscow. The severe weather was brought by the Balkan cyclone “Francis”: snowstorms blanketed the capital and the surrounding region, with snowdrifts reaching 40–50 cm in some areas. With the start of the working week, the snowfall has not subsided — on January 12, Moscow found itself at the center of a new southern cyclone.

The heavy snowfall began on January 8, initially affecting the southeastern and eastern districts of the Moscow Region before spreading across the entire metropolitan area. The snowfall reached its peak on January 9. Since the beginning of the year, more than 35 mm of precipitation has fallen in Moscow, which is % of the January norm of 53 mm. Precipitation in the capital continued over the weekend on January 10 and 11.

This snowfall became one of the five strongest in the entire 146-year history of continuous meteorological observations in Moscow. It also ranked among the three most intense snowfalls recorded in the city since the beginning of the 21st century. The extreme weather set a new daily precipitation record for January 9, with 21.4 mm of precipitation falling in the city. The previous record for this date was registered in 1976 at 12.9 mm. The record 21.4 mm accounted for 40% of the monthly average.

As a result of the snowstorms, the he ight of the snow cover in the capital increased significantly. On January 9, it rose by 6 cm and reached 37 cm. However, the absolute record for snowdrift height was not surpassed. According to Mikhail Leus, a leading specialist at the Phobos weather center, the highest snowdrifts on that date were recorded in 1956, when they reached 46 cm.

“City services are working around the clock to eliminate the consequences of the powerful snowfall. Precipitation did not stop throughout the night. According to meteorologists’ forecasts, the snow cover may increase by up to another 16 cm in the coming days,” the press service of the Moscow City Economy Complex warned.

According to the Moscow City Economy Complex, up to 12 cm of additional snow may fall on Wednesday, January 14. Russia’s Hydrometeorological Center also confirms that snow cover in Moscow and the Moscow Region may increase by another 10 cm over the next two days.

ORIENT