Weather Anomaly
On May 9, Moscow experienced a rare snowfall, marking the "coldest May 9 since 1972" with an average temperature of 1.7°C. According to the Russian Meteorology and Hydrology Center, it was the first snowfall on this date ever recorded in the Russian capital.
Snow Cover
The snowfall ranged from 1 to 5 centimeters in different parts of Moscow, adding a blanket of white to the city as it prepared for the Victory Day parade on Red Square. Meteorologist Roman Vilfand noted that the weather was "as cold as a typical March 26," a month and a half earlier.
Temperature Swing
While the snowfall melted later in the day, the average temperature for May 9 remained below normal. According to Meteonovosti weather news agency, it was the coldest May 9 in Moscow since 1972.
Unusual Cold Spell
The cold snap follows an unusually warm April, which saw temperatures above normal by 5°C and a record high of 23.2°C on April 2. Gismeteo weather service attributes the current cold to the warm weather that preceded it.
Agricultural Impacts
The unseasonable snow and cold have devastated crops in several Russian agricultural provinces. Winter crops, sunflowers, wheat, corn, and other plants have been lost in the Voronezh, Tula, Tambov, and Lipetsk regions. Manino JSC, owner of a 2,000-hectare sunflower field in Voronezh, estimated losses of around 80 million rubles ($900,000) due to temperatures reaching -8°C.
Emergency Declared
The Voronezh region has declared a state of emergency due to the frost. Initial assessments indicate that 265,000 hectares of crops have been damaged or destroyed.
Climate Change Impacts
Global warming is leading to more rainfall and less snowfall worldwide. However, even as overall snowfall decreases, severe snowstorms are becoming more frequent in some areas. Evidence suggests that climate change is contributing to extreme cold spells in regions like Texas and California, where infrastructure is not equipped for such events.