No festive snow in Moscow
Muscovites are facing the disturbing prospect of a snowless New Year as the Russian capital basks in record high temperatures.
With the exception of a few flurries that quickly melted, there has been no snowfall in Moscow since winter officially began on December 1. Usually, the first snow comes in November or late October, but this year the typical covering is still nowhere to be seen.
Muscovites are normally assured of a snowy New Year, their most important holiday, when Father Frost and his helper Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) deliver presents to children. Instead of the usual wintry scenes, however, the city is a vista of greys and browns, alleviated only by the sparkle of fairy lights and other street decorations.
December 18, 19 and 23 were the warmest since records began 140 years ago, at 5.6 degrees Celsius, 6.5C and 6.2C, respectively. For weeks, the temperature has hovered around zero.
The huge ice skating rink in Gorky Park is sparsely visited, and the ice slides at a winter sports festival near the Luzhniki national stadium look forlorn, surrounded by bare ground.
In a country reliant on vast reserves of oil and gas, the warm temperatures have prompted debate about what is causing the mild weather. It was the first question posed to Russian President Vladimir Putin at his marathon annual press conference before Christmas.
Putin said it was vital to combat global warming, and that Russia took the task seriously. He said Russia was especially vulnerable because of its northern cities built on permafrost.
However, Putin cast doubt on man-made greenhouse gases being a cause of climate change. ‘‘We know that in the history of Earth, there were periods when there was warming and cooling, and it could depend on global processes in the universe,’’ he said.
Some Muscovites have welcomed the mild weather, figuring that the thermometer will at some point probably plummet.
Others find the lack of snowdrifts and icicles depressing.
Sergei Lang, a psychologist, advised the Sputnik radio station’s listeners to create their own New Year atmosphere regardless of the weather.
‘‘Add songs to your playlist that create a good mood. Decorate your house and change your outer appearance. To defeat depression, dress more brightly,’’ he said.
Roman Vilfand, director of the Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia, said there could be a little snow on New Year’s Eve, but the forecast was unpredictable.
There has been no snowfall in Moscow since winter officially began.