Historic Snowstorm Hits Moscow: Kids Delight, Traffic Nightmare

Moscow’s Snowless December Woes Turn into Record Snowfall

After a snowless December, Moscow’s wishes were granted in a big way. A powerful Balkan cyclone named Francis hit the city on January 8, 2026, bringing a historic snowstorm not seen in seven decades.

Record Snowfall

By 9 a.m., snow depths reached 31 cm at the main VDNH weather station, with some areas seeing up to 48 cm. Forecasters predict even more snow is on the way.

Cyclone Francis, a remarkably active atmospheric vortex, brought heavy rains to North Macedonia before traveling nearly 2,000 km to hit Central Russia. Meteorologists warned of intense snowfall from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with up to 13 mm of precipitation—about a quarter of January’s normal amount—already recorded. By evening, this is expected to reach 33 mm.

Blizzard Conditions

The snowstorm is accompanied by strong northeastern winds of 6–11 m/s, with gusts up to 17–18 m/s. Despite an air temperature of -8°C, it feels like -17°C.

By day’s end, Moscow could see unprecedented snow depths of 65 cm, breaking the January record of 57 cm. The last time similar snow depths were recorded in January was in 1956. For context, the all-time winter record is 77–78 cm, set in February 1994.

City in Crisis

The storm has severely tested Moscow’s infrastructure. The Russian Hydrometeorological Center issued an orange weather alert, effective until midnight on January 10.

Transportation has been hit hardest. Visibility at Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports dropped to critical levels of 500–800 meters. Despite working overtime to clear runways, airports have seen delays but avoided mass cancellations.

Roads are in chaos, with traffic jams forming on major highways like Leningradskoye, Shchelkovskoye, and Altufevskoye, as well as on federal routes M-2, M-3, and M-4. Authorities urge residents to use public transport instead of personal vehicles. Downtown traffic is rated at 4 out of 10, but the situation is worse on the MKAD, where trucks struggle with inclines.

City services are working around the clock, deploying thousands of workers and equipment to clear roads and sidewalks. Residents are asked to park considerately to avoid blocking snow removal efforts. Energy companies are on high alert, recalling the May 2025 snowstorm that caused widespread power outages.

The storm has also affected regions south of Moscow, including Tula, Kaluga, Ryazan, and Nizhny Novgorod, where some areas have seen up to 53 mm of precipitation in 24 hours, exceeding the average January total.

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