Winters in Russia are usually not for the faint of heart. From temperatures buried in the negatives to cities grinding to a halt due to snowfall, it’s essential you’re winter-ready. This year though, it’s panned out a little differently.
People may not be basking in sunshine but with Monday temperatures in Moscow and St. Petersburg at 9 Celsius (48.2 Fahrenheit), it’s certainly milder than people are used to. Social media has been alight with imagery that wouldn’t look out of place in spring time Russia, with trees blossoming and normally snow-laden landscapes now green.
With average Moscow temperatures for December 2014 around -4 Celsius, Muscovites enjoyed warmer weather on Monday morning than the likes of New York (9C) and even Rome (8C), where Italians were practically freezing while eating their gelato. On Monday, Moscow temperatures broke the 33-year-old warmth record.
The milder winter temperatures come following a record breaking 25C in September, the highest in 90 years.
While some parts of Russia are certainly enjoying fewer snow-filled days, not everyone is as lucky. Places like Tyumen Region are enduring their expectedly cold temperatures and snow-covered lands, although it does result in some nice, albeit cold, sunsets.