First snow falls in Russia’s Urals as Yekaterinburg hits 0C
In short
First snow fell overnight into 5 October in the Sverdlovsk region, with RIA Novosti reporting snow in Yekaterinburg and Interfax reporting it across the region. Uralhydromet forecast wet snow, snow sticking to wires and a temporary snow cover, while Yekaterinburg stood at 0C and was expected to warm to 4-6C on Tuesday. Chelyabinsk region saw heavy snow in Zlatoust, and truck and bus restrictions remained in place on the M-5 Ural highway.
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The first snow of the season fell in the Urals overnight into 5 October. RIA Novosti reported the first snow in Yekaterinburg, while Interfax, citing the regional weather service Uralhydromet, said snow had fallen across the Sverdlovsk region. Uralhydromet’s forecast for 5 October was “cloudy, precipitation (wet snow, snow), wet snow sticking to wires, establishment of a temporary snow cover”. Interfax reported Yekaterinburg at 0 degrees. [ 1 , 2 ]
Conditions varied across the region. The Sverdlovsk traffic police said that on the morning of 5 October, on the Serov – Severouralsk – Ivdel highway near Severouralsk, the air temperature had dropped to minus 1 degree, the road surface was wet, loose snow was present and wet snow was continuing to fall. In the Chelyabinsk region, the transport ministry said rain, wet snow and snow had fallen across the whole region over the weekend, with road crews treating surfaces with a sand-and-salt mixture. The regional emergencies ministry said restrictions introduced on Sunday evening for buses, minibuses and trucks remained in force on the M-5 Ural highway. The Zlatoust city administration said the city had been “hit by heavy snowfall” and that municipal and road services had been on an intensified round-the-clock regime since Sunday, clearing main roads and treating surfaces with de-icing materials. [ 2 ]
Elsewhere in the Urals, the Kurgan region government press service told Interfax that snow was falling in Kurgan on Monday morning but melting immediately. The first snow was also seen in Tyumen on Monday morning, Interfax reported. [ 2 ]
According to Interfax’s account of the forecast, precipitation in Yekaterinburg was to decrease on Tuesday, with daytime temperatures of 4-6 degrees, and to stop on Wednesday, when the temperature was expected to be plus 7-9 degrees. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The early October snow affects roads across the southern and central Urals, with restrictions in place on a main federal highway and municipal crews in Zlatoust working around the clock. The documents indicate the cover is expected to be temporary, with warmer and drier conditions forecast from Tuesday, so disruption is framed as short-lived. The reports come from a state news agency and a business wire citing regional weather, traffic and emergency officials.
Key facts
- Snow fell overnight into 5 October in the Sverdlovsk region, with RIA Novosti reporting the first snow in Yekaterinburg and Interfax reporting it across the region. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Uralhydromet forecast cloud and precipitation — wet snow and snow — with wet snow sticking to wires and a temporary snow cover. [ 2 ]
- Yekaterinburg was at 0 degrees, with precipitation easing and daytime temperatures of 4-6 degrees forecast for Tuesday and 7-9 degrees on Wednesday, when precipitation was expected to stop. [ 2 ]
- The Sverdlovsk traffic police said the temperature on the Serov – Severouralsk – Ivdel highway near Severouralsk fell to minus 1 degree in the morning, with a wet road surface, loose snow present and wet snow still falling. [ 2 ]
- The Zlatoust city administration said the city was hit by heavy snowfall and that municipal and road services had moved to an intensified round-the-clock regime since Sunday, clearing main roads and treating surfaces with de-icing materials. [ 2 ]
- The Chelyabinsk region emergencies ministry said restrictions introduced on Sunday evening for buses, minibuses and trucks remained in force on the M-5 Ural highway because of the weather. [ 2 ]
- Snow was also falling in Kurgan on Monday morning but melting immediately, the Kurgan region government press service said, and the first snow was seen in Tyumen on Monday morning. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the first snow was confined to Yekaterinburg or covered the wider Sverdlovsk region. RIA Novosti reported the first snow for Yekaterinburg while Interfax reported it for the Sverdlovsk region; the documents do not reconcile the two scopes.
- How long the temporary snow cover will remain and whether it causes further disruption. Uralhydromet describes the cover as temporary, and the documents give no assessment of how long it will last or of damage caused.
- Any injuries, accidents or damage linked to the snow. The documents mention road conditions and traffic restrictions but report no accidents, injuries or damage.
- Uralhydromet forecast wet snow and snow, wet snow sticking to wires and the establishment of a temporary snow cover on 5 October. Reported by a single source so far
- Yekaterinburg was at 0 degrees on the morning of 5 October, according to Interfax. Reported by a single source so far
- Snow fell heavily in Zlatoust in the Chelyabinsk region, with the city administration reporting round-the-clock road clearing. Reported by a single source so far
- Restrictions on buses, minibuses and trucks on the M-5 Ural highway, introduced on Sunday evening, remained in effect, according to the Chelyabinsk region emergencies ministry. Reported by a single source so far