What Global Warming? Moscow Recovers From "Snowfall of the Century", Prepares For Record Cold

Vladimirskaya, Tula, Smolensk, Leningrad Oblast, Udmurtia, and Tatarstan — the appetite of the "Balkanets" cyclone that seized the European part of Russia is growing hourly. In the Bryansk region, snowfall left almost 40 settlements without power. In the Ulyanovsk and Saratov regions, 14,000 people were left without electricity. In Kaluga, more than 500 settlements are in a blackout. MES strongly recommends staying home whenever possible. Avoid trees and shaky buildings. This subway exit in Kazan reminds one of an ascent to a snowy peak. In Saratov, melted snow paralyzed pedestrian traffic. Rescuers recommend not to brave the roads, which have become half-meter-deep puddles. And in Moscow, the volume of snow removed from the streets is already comparable with the volume of Luzhniki Stadium. The coldest day of the winter will come to the capital after the snowfall. Ilya Filipov will show us the most noteworthy footage of the day. A tractor operator: "I haven't seen anything like this in all my life". Moscow seemed to have suddenly changed its geography and appeared in the middle of Siberia. We were warned that it would snow and get below freezing, but it didn't just snow a little, but all night and day. Emergency services urged people to use public transportation instead of driving. Even then, it's not easy for public transport on such snow. While the city's main roads were cleared in the morning, the real congestion is in the residential areas. The car must first be found, then removed from under the snow, and then you must try to drive out. For Mikhail, jazz orchestra conductor, the party with the trench shovel became a real improvisation. - An hour and a half and it's all good! - You've been digging with this shovel for an hour and a half? - Yes, of course, we haven't been beaten, no? Instead of digging, someone decided to simply tow the car out of its snowy prison. - How long did you dig? - I didn't dig at all. - Oh, so you're just towing it out? - Yes. Some people think that it's important to complain before getting to work with a scraper: "My girlfriend works in city services, I'll write her and send pictures of all this, and let her send it to someone". And some will not only complain but will definitely also sue. In the east of Moscow, the snow caused a tree to collapse on top of a car. Car owner: "The car was standing like that, and the tree also fell that way". All the collected snow can't be taken out right away. It's collected in large heaps, very often in parking lots. Car owners get especially annoyed when icebergs appear near schools hospitals, and in handicapped spaces. 60 rubles an hour is almost a 1,500 per day. Places like this can fit either 3 small cars or 2 big ones. Many car owners are ready to say: "Take my money, and I'll park here." But there's a large snowpile parked here. It had appeared before this snowfall and had only grown since. The main thing that's not clear is when it will be removed. Perhaps it will leave on its own by spring. Not only the capital is overwhelmed by snow, but all of Central Russia—the Moscow, Leningrad, and Volga regions. In Kazan this morning, trams worked with interruptions, rails were under a one-meter layer of snow, and road patrol officers helped when crossing the road. On the road from Kazan to Arsk, traffic has stopped completely in some areas. - I've been shoveling since morning. Since Monday, a shovel is no longer a special tool, but rather an auto accessory. And while yesterday's level of snowfall is no longer predicted, it will be even colder. Roman Vilfand, Meteorological Center: "The temperature will be -15°C to -17°C tonight, and -19°C in the region. In the low places, it'll even be -20°C, this is a real winter." In Yaroslavl, drivers received a "snow ticket." If you decided not to drive, upon showing your license, you don't have to pay for public transport. - That's good, thank you. And yet, winter in the third month of winter is a real treat for many. In the streets, people are having fun on skis, snowmobiles, and on inflatable toys, all to experience frost and mountains of snow in February. Ilya Filipov, Stanislav Nazarov, Anna Kolg, Dmitry Bolshakov, Oleg Dobin. Vesti