Heavy snowfall engulfs many parts of Russia

Heavy snow has blanketed many parts of Russia in the past few days, cutting power to more than 30 000 people and leaving various regions and cities struggling to deal with the extreme weather. Thousands of people have been affected, with others having to dig their way out of the thick snow, while many districts declared a state of emergency.

The heavy snow, also dubbed "snow Armageddon" by meteorologists, began February 11, 2021. Moscow broke the previous record for February 12 set in 1973, and the city was close to surpassing a record high of 60 cm (23.6 inches) for accumulated snow for February 13.

In other parts of the country, such as in Dagestan, locals had to dig their cows out of the snow after the animals were stranded on snowdrifts.

Traffic officers rescued 30 cars trapped in a snowstorm on the Orenburg Federal Highway.

Meanwhile, a record-breaking blizzard left 30 000 people without electricity in Chelyabinsk, prompting more than 10 districts to declare a state of emergency.

In St. Petersburg, about 1 300 cleaning machines and 1 152 workers were deployed on streets to clear the snow.

Featured image credit:Wild WeatherUS/YouTube