Heavy Snowfall in Moscow... Over 130,000 Deployed for Snow Removal

Snow accumulation of 10.7mm in 12 hours
Over 70 flights to and from Moscow delayed or canceled

On the 3rd (local time), heavy snowfall hit Moscow, the capital of Russia, prompting the deployment of more than 130,000 personnel for snow removal operations.

Snow removal work is underway in Moscow, Russia, on the 3rd (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to TASS news agency, Roman Vilfand, a meteorologist at the Russian Meteorological Agency, said, "Record-breaking snow struck Moscow," adding, "The snowfall on the 3rd was the heaviest in 145 years of meteorological observations."

The Moscow meteorological station reported that 10.7 mm of snow accumulated within 12 hours on that day. This surpassed the previous highest snowfall of 9.4 mm recorded on December 3rd, 1980. Typically, snowfall measurements are about one-tenth of the total snow depth.

RIA Novosti reported that Moscow authorities deployed over 135,000 personnel and more than 18,000 specialized vehicles to carry out snow removal operations.

Due to the heavy snowfall, vehicle traffic in Moscow slowed to an average speed of 26 km/h. More than 70 flights to and from Moscow were delayed or canceled.

As of 2:18 AM on the 4th, Sheremetyevo Airport experienced delays for 34 flights. Domodedovo Airport had 17 delayed flights and 3 cancellations, while Vnukovo Airport and Zhukovsky Airport had 13 and 6 delayed flights respectively.

Temperatures in Moscow are forecasted to drop to between -15 and -17 degrees Celsius at night on the 6th, and between -10 and -12 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. On the night of the 7th, the lowest temperature is expected to reach -18 degrees Celsius, and on the night of the 8th, it is forecasted to fall to as low as -20 degrees Celsius.