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Record Snowfall Paralyzes Russia’s Far East, Bringing Fun and Frustration

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Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula has been hit by its heaviest snowfall in six decades, leaving cities buried under massive snowdrifts several metres high. In the port city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, extreme winter storms have blocked building entrances, submerged cars and disrupted daily life, according to visuals and data from weather monitoring stations.

Officials said more than two metres of snow has fallen in the first half of January alone, following 3.7 metres recorded in December. Reuters images showed vehicles almost completely buried, with four-wheel drives struggling to move through thick drifts, while residents were forced to dig narrow paths to access apartment buildings and roads.

Despite the disruption, locals have tried to find moments of humour amid the chaos. Videos on Russian media showed people walking along towering snowbanks beside traffic lights, while some jumped off the drifts for fun. “The car has been parked in a snowdrift for a month,” said local photographer Lydmila Moskvicheva, capturing both the frustration and surreal beauty of the historic snowfall.

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Arctic Freeze Grounds Flights, Strands Tourists in Finland’s Lapland

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Thousands of tourists were left stranded in Finland’s Lapland after extreme cold forced the cancellation of flights at Kittila Airport, a major hub for winter travellers. Temperatures failed to rise above –35°C on Sunday, grounding flights bound for cities such as London, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam. The situation is expected to continue as forecasts warn of lows reaching –39°C, leading to further cancellations.

The severe cold has made it difficult to de-ice aircraft and operate ground equipment such as refuelling and maintenance systems, which can freeze in such conditions. Finland’s airport operator Finavia said moisture in the air was worsening the problem by creating slippery frost on aircraft and runways. Although Lapland is known for harsh winters, its usual average temperature is around –14°C, making this cold snap unusually extreme.

The freezing weather has also made travel on the ground dangerous, with icy roads reported across the region. A bus carrying Ukrainian passengers slid into a ditch, though no serious injuries were reported. The cold spell is part of a wider winter storm affecting northern Europe, which has caused power cuts in France, travel disruption in several countries, and even a fatal accident in the UK.

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