- MOSCOW: Russians may have scoffed at what US President Barack Obama called “snowmageddon” earlier this month on his country’s east coast, but now Muscovites have been stunned by a snow fall that has broken their own 1966 record.
Four days of blizzards dumped 67 cm (26 inches) across the Russian capital by Tuesday, breaking the February record of 64 cm experienced at the height of the Cold War 44 years ago, and much more is expected this week, the Moscow weather bureau said.
Blinding flurries of thick wet flakes have horrified and delighted Muscovites alike, who usually take pride in their freezing, long winters which far exceed other European cities.
The office of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said it had dispatched 15,000 snow-clearing machines and 5,000 street-cleaners for the sprawling city of 10.4 million.
State-run RIA Novosti agency said the number of cars in the auto-thirsty Russian capital has fallen by a third since the snow started, meaning fewer accidents than usual on the roads.
Blizzards in the United States a fortnight ago broke a 110-year-old record at 139.4 cm (54.9 inches), leaving thousands without electricity and creating a million-dollar mess.