Moscow is buried like never before. Seriously—have you ever seen a city of 13 million nearly disappear under two centuries’ worth of snow?
Meteorologists at Moscow State University say January has delivered the heaviest snowfall in more than 200 years.
By January 29, the city had already recorded 92 mm of precipitation—the highest since 1823.
But don’t let the numbers fool you. Some streets now sport snow piles up to 60 centimetres (two feet) high, turning sidewalks into obstacle courses and traffic into chaos.
Commuter trains are delayed, cars are gridlocked, and residents are navigating snow-laden streets like it’s an extreme winter obstacle race.
“January was a cold and unusually snowy month in Moscow,” the university noted on social media.
What’s Causing This Frozen Spectacle?
The observatory explained it’s the result of deep cyclones and sharp atmospheric fronts sweeping across the region.
In other words, a perfect storm of weather patterns delivering record-breaking flakes.
For Muscovites, it’s a mix of awe and exasperation.
As one local joked on X, “We didn’t get a winter wonderland… we got a winter mountain range.”
So, next time you grumble about a dusting of snow, remember.
Somewhere in Moscow, people are digging out from the kind of snowfall historians will be talking about for centuries.
