Historic May Snowstorm Paralyzes Moscow, Causing Tree Damage and Widespread Power Outages

On Friday, blizzards covered Moscow in snow, marking a historic first for the season. The severe weather caused trees to fall on vehicles and led to power outages affecting tens of thousands of residents in the surrounding area.

According to Mikhail Leus from the Phobos weather center, this snowfall represents the first instance in 75 years that Moscow’s primary weather station has documented snow cover on May 2.

The weather station located at the VDNKh exhibition center recorded 7 centimeters of snow, while certain areas in the Moscow region experienced up to 15 centimeters.

Fallen trees caused damage to cars and knocked down power lines on roads, railways, and parking lots. Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported that at least 26,000 residents were without electricity overnight as emergency teams worked quickly to restore power.

In the wake of the blizzard, the transportation department of the Moscow Mayor’s Office cautioned that the snow might disrupt bus routes and advised drivers to refrain from parking near trees and unstable structures.

Phobos warned that icy conditions could arise on Saturday, though warmer weather is expected to return on Sunday.

This unprecedented snowfall followed a day of record rainfall in Moscow on Thursday and came after an unusually mild winter.

In total, the capital and its suburbs, home to 22 million people, experienced 71% of the usual May precipitation within just 36 hours.