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Russia’s Coldest City Gets Two Months Worth Of Snow In Just 5 Days And Their Photos Look Surreal (30 Pics)
Unless you live in Florida, there’s no winter wonderland without at least a tiny bit of snow. Even a couple of inches will do the job as long as it gives you time to take a snowy selfie. And there’s nothing more fun than having the first snowfall of the season, as we all suddenly transform into little kids putting our hectic adult lives on hold.
But on the other side of the world, in Russian Siberia, people ain’t “dreaming of a white Christmas” like Sinatra’s song. You see, in Norilsk, which is the northernmost city of Russia, people face continuous darkness for 45 days each year with temperatures dropping as low as -27.4°F in February.
And now, the city has been drowning in a constant five-day snowfall. The Krasnoyarsk hydrometeorological center reported that there has been a whopping 194% of the monthly precipitation falling in the past week. On top of that, the locals have to deal with icy wind gusts reaching 22-27 meters per second.
The pictures from the Siberian snowland speak for themselves, and as fun as they look, one cannot help but wonder how the locals deal with all this. From digging up their cars to having the road signs swept up by snow, this takes survival skills Bear Grylls would be proud of.
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Norilsk is situated 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is known as a place of brutal extremes. It’s the coldest and one of the darkest places in Russia, since starting from the beginning of December, the locals face the perpetual night of polar winter. The night usually lasts from about November 30 to January 13. Beyond the city, which is populated with around 175,000 people, there’s the uninhabited wilderness of northern Siberia.
Te city is not only famous for its freezing climate, it’s also one of the biggest producers of pollutants, “turning an area twice the size of Rhode Island into a dead zone of lifeless tree trunks, mud, and snow,” according to The New York Times. Norilsk Nickel company is the world’s largest producer of palladium and a major supplier of metals like copper, nickel, etc.
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The New York Times reports that “at one point, the company belched more sulfur dioxide a year than all of France.” As a result, Norilsk’s Daldykan river, which runs the plant, has turned red.Most locals spend their leisure time indoors, especially during the winter season.
The cold gets so severe here that freelance taxis have been a booming business, with locals too cold to walk outside for even short distances. Buses also exist, but waiting outside for one until it arrives may be impossible, so it’s not uncommon to hide in a nearby shop and wait for the bus to come.
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Martha Meyer 4 years ago
It's probably so hard and frozen by now, it would stay in place.
Load More Replies... Benjamin Fowler 4 years ago
still though if you opened up the window you would still get really cold
Susan Williams 4 years ago
The little girl is dressed in warm clothes even tho' she is indoors
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BoredPanda is awesome 4 years ago
Call the Knight Bus from Harry Potter. I'm sure it could blow right through that snow
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What do you think ?
David K 4 years ago
This much snow may look fabulous, but it can cause a lot of troubles (electricity grid, railways, roads...). I would love to have some snow too (last winter was too mild in my opinion), but this may a bit too much. On the other hand, people there probably know well how to deal with it.
Monika Soffronow 4 years ago
In most places where this much snow may fall, I take it for granted that the electricity cables are below ground. The chaos caused by two months of snow falling in a couple of days is just inevitable, there will be stories told for years about this.
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Tiari 4 years ago
Include Celsius, boredpanda, ffs. You are a European site with lots of European users, why do you convert temperatures in Russia to Fahrenheit and leave out Celsius completely??
Ksenia M 4 years ago
Just FYI, Norilsk is not in fact " the northernmost city of Russia". Pevek is.
Liucija Adomaite 4 years ago
Hey there! Thank you for your observation. Prevek is indeed very far north, but it does not classify as a city since it has a population of less than 5000, making Norilsk the actual northernmost city in Russia :))
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Astrid Nineor 4 years ago
Some of this would be perfectly normal here (Norway), but snow covering the entire window? Yikes, that would be too much for me. ...and I bet it is "a bit" colder in Russia. Brrr
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
Believe or not we had a wild snow storm in Virginia. I have photos of my son standing in front of glass doors totally blocked by a snow drift, on the second door deck. Everyone worked creating paths connecting the houses. The sides of walls were over the kids head, but they raced from house to house, under parental supervision, of course. For five magical days it was just us. Birthdays were celebrated, life continued but more innocently, with less stress, in a white cold silent world..
Load More Replies...
Kevin Donegan 4 years ago
I grew up in Montana on the west side of Glacier National Park ... Nope. Not ever going back to a cold weather climate. Not gonna do it.
ML 4 years ago
And people somehow manage. In some countries you get 1" of snow and all hell breaks loose.
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
The rush to buy toilet paper starts. I was on Cape Cod before a big snow storm. Everyone raced to the supermarket in Provincetown. A small crowd stood silently in the front of the store trying to think of things they needed. One by one we left. Nobody needed anything. I guess people had different shopping habits. Then again, the end of the Cape is a bit unusual.
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Holly 4 years ago
Makes you wonder about snow days in some countries. I bet schools have never been closed because of the snow over there
Bill 4 years ago
When they can't keep up with the snow it shuts down everything for awhile
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jevais 4 years ago
My idea of hell, piles of snow everywhere. I truly hate snow, it's so ugly when it starts to melt, the salt burns the paws of dogs, when it turns into ice it's hard to not to fall, the city is upside down because of the traffic.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
But a couple of hot chocolate and/or a dish of fresh snow cream makes up for it. Every. Single. Time.
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Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
The biggest problem -- the snow will not melt for months. They only need to remove snow from places they want to use the next four months or so.
Ksenia M 4 years ago
that's not a problem, that's a good thing. The snow on the roads and pathways will be compressed within a week and form a nice firm surface you can walk and drive on without any issues. You do have to keep within the limits of the path while walking though, many a boot have been lost to surprising soft snow)
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
From right before I was born to about age 7, we lived on a farm in Pennsylvania. I clearly remember after one deep snowfall (2 to 3 feet) when I was about 4 or 5, my father and brothers had cleared a path from the back door, around the patio, and down to the driveway, then cleared the driveway itself, from the car to the road. The sides of the path were piled pretty high with snow, between 4 and 5 feet. We went grocery shopping after they were done, and when we got back everyone was carrying the bags from the car to the kitchen, through the back door. I remember my parents and brothers shouting for me and sounding kind of panicked, until I shouted back “I’m here” and they located me, down by the car starting up the path, by following my voice and catching glimpses of me trying to jump up with a small bag of groceries in my arms. The snow was piled taller than I was and they thought they’d lost me.
Lærke Littlebird 4 years ago
"Unless you live in Florida" we all have snowy winters? What planet are you from?!
Annette Easton 4 years ago
As someone who lives in Winnipeg (aka Winterpeg), I can say that a) that is a lot of snow for a brief period of time (although we've had similar snowfalls here) and b) every year our temperatures fall below that -27.4F (-33C) mark. It's not unusual for us to have daytime temperatures like that (and colder) and we've had overnight temperatures of -40 (that's the same C or F).
Oskar vanZandt 4 years ago
I am not a fan of snow... especially snow like this! It's one of the reasons I moved from Canada back to temperate Europe.
Joanne Haywood 4 years ago
Take me there - now. I’ve had a pair of fantastic snow boots for nearly 4 years and haven’t yet had the snowy excuse to wear them. This amount of snow would have English southern softies really panicked.
Storm Anne 4 years ago
i want that snow to ust ove over to maryland. WE ALMOST NEVER HAVE SNOW
Faith Nicole 4 years ago
This is just crazy. Im shocked to see houses with lights on, and street lights still working... cars don't look to be flattened from the weight of all that snow. As a kid..hell, even as an adult I would probably go sledding down a mountain of snow and attempt to make a family of snowmen.. but those temeratures....😯 when it reached 40°f im like f this, im going into hibernation mode !
Lars Stokholm 4 years ago
How can Norilsk be the Northernmost Russian city, it is on the 69th latitude, and Barentsburg is on the 78th latitude?
Fixin'Ta 4 years ago
I mean ... "my country" being the U.S. there is a lot of snow. In places. Not here in Texas (although Amarillo gets hit often, sometimes Dallas, but the farther south you go, the fewer the chances you'll get even one snowfall in a winter, and of course South Texas gets none). I'm good with that, though. Snow is pretty to look at, but I'm not a fan of living in it (which I have done when I lived in other states).
Joy Stowe 4 years ago
I love snow but the power outages are no fun at all!
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marianne eliza 4 years ago
Fingers crossed they don't get a warm spell that melts all that very quickly.
Biljana Malesevic 4 years ago
Is this colder and more snowy than Canada? Let's now see Canada photos and compare!
David K 4 years ago
This much snow may look fabulous, but it can cause a lot of troubles (electricity grid, railways, roads...). I would love to have some snow too (last winter was too mild in my opinion), but this may a bit too much. On the other hand, people there probably know well how to deal with it.
Monika Soffronow 4 years ago
In most places where this much snow may fall, I take it for granted that the electricity cables are below ground. The chaos caused by two months of snow falling in a couple of days is just inevitable, there will be stories told for years about this.
Load More Replies... Tiari 4 years ago
Include Celsius, boredpanda, ffs. You are a European site with lots of European users, why do you convert temperatures in Russia to Fahrenheit and leave out Celsius completely??
Ksenia M 4 years ago
Just FYI, Norilsk is not in fact " the northernmost city of Russia". Pevek is.
Liucija Adomaite 4 years ago
Hey there! Thank you for your observation. Prevek is indeed very far north, but it does not classify as a city since it has a population of less than 5000, making Norilsk the actual northernmost city in Russia :))
Load More Replies... Astrid Nineor 4 years ago
Some of this would be perfectly normal here (Norway), but snow covering the entire window? Yikes, that would be too much for me. ...and I bet it is "a bit" colder in Russia. Brrr
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
Believe or not we had a wild snow storm in Virginia. I have photos of my son standing in front of glass doors totally blocked by a snow drift, on the second door deck. Everyone worked creating paths connecting the houses. The sides of walls were over the kids head, but they raced from house to house, under parental supervision, of course. For five magical days it was just us. Birthdays were celebrated, life continued but more innocently, with less stress, in a white cold silent world..
Load More Replies... Kevin Donegan 4 years ago
I grew up in Montana on the west side of Glacier National Park ... Nope. Not ever going back to a cold weather climate. Not gonna do it.
ML 4 years ago
And people somehow manage. In some countries you get 1" of snow and all hell breaks loose.
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
The rush to buy toilet paper starts. I was on Cape Cod before a big snow storm. Everyone raced to the supermarket in Provincetown. A small crowd stood silently in the front of the store trying to think of things they needed. One by one we left. Nobody needed anything. I guess people had different shopping habits. Then again, the end of the Cape is a bit unusual.
Load More Replies... Holly 4 years ago
Makes you wonder about snow days in some countries. I bet schools have never been closed because of the snow over there
Bill 4 years ago
When they can't keep up with the snow it shuts down everything for awhile
Load More Replies... jevais 4 years ago
My idea of hell, piles of snow everywhere. I truly hate snow, it's so ugly when it starts to melt, the salt burns the paws of dogs, when it turns into ice it's hard to not to fall, the city is upside down because of the traffic.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
But a couple of hot chocolate and/or a dish of fresh snow cream makes up for it. Every. Single. Time.
Load More Replies... Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
The biggest problem -- the snow will not melt for months. They only need to remove snow from places they want to use the next four months or so.
Ksenia M 4 years ago
that's not a problem, that's a good thing. The snow on the roads and pathways will be compressed within a week and form a nice firm surface you can walk and drive on without any issues. You do have to keep within the limits of the path while walking though, many a boot have been lost to surprising soft snow)
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
From right before I was born to about age 7, we lived on a farm in Pennsylvania. I clearly remember after one deep snowfall (2 to 3 feet) when I was about 4 or 5, my father and brothers had cleared a path from the back door, around the patio, and down to the driveway, then cleared the driveway itself, from the car to the road. The sides of the path were piled pretty high with snow, between 4 and 5 feet. We went grocery shopping after they were done, and when we got back everyone was carrying the bags from the car to the kitchen, through the back door. I remember my parents and brothers shouting for me and sounding kind of panicked, until I shouted back “I’m here” and they located me, down by the car starting up the path, by following my voice and catching glimpses of me trying to jump up with a small bag of groceries in my arms. The snow was piled taller than I was and they thought they’d lost me.
Lærke Littlebird 4 years ago
"Unless you live in Florida" we all have snowy winters? What planet are you from?!
Annette Easton 4 years ago
As someone who lives in Winnipeg (aka Winterpeg), I can say that a) that is a lot of snow for a brief period of time (although we've had similar snowfalls here) and b) every year our temperatures fall below that -27.4F (-33C) mark. It's not unusual for us to have daytime temperatures like that (and colder) and we've had overnight temperatures of -40 (that's the same C or F).
Oskar vanZandt 4 years ago
I am not a fan of snow... especially snow like this! It's one of the reasons I moved from Canada back to temperate Europe.
Joanne Haywood 4 years ago
Take me there - now. I’ve had a pair of fantastic snow boots for nearly 4 years and haven’t yet had the snowy excuse to wear them. This amount of snow would have English southern softies really panicked.
Storm Anne 4 years ago
i want that snow to ust ove over to maryland. WE ALMOST NEVER HAVE SNOW
Faith Nicole 4 years ago
This is just crazy. Im shocked to see houses with lights on, and street lights still working... cars don't look to be flattened from the weight of all that snow. As a kid..hell, even as an adult I would probably go sledding down a mountain of snow and attempt to make a family of snowmen.. but those temeratures....😯 when it reached 40°f im like f this, im going into hibernation mode !
Lars Stokholm 4 years ago
How can Norilsk be the Northernmost Russian city, it is on the 69th latitude, and Barentsburg is on the 78th latitude?
Fixin'Ta 4 years ago
I mean ... "my country" being the U.S. there is a lot of snow. In places. Not here in Texas (although Amarillo gets hit often, sometimes Dallas, but the farther south you go, the fewer the chances you'll get even one snowfall in a winter, and of course South Texas gets none). I'm good with that, though. Snow is pretty to look at, but I'm not a fan of living in it (which I have done when I lived in other states).
Joy Stowe 4 years ago
I love snow but the power outages are no fun at all!
Load More Replies... marianne eliza 4 years ago
Fingers crossed they don't get a warm spell that melts all that very quickly.
Biljana Malesevic 4 years ago
Is this colder and more snowy than Canada? Let's now see Canada photos and compare!
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