Rare Thundersnow Hits the Urals, Tearing Off Roofs and Cutting Power

A powerful winter storm with heavy snow and thunder hit Russia's Ural Mountains region on the morning of Friday, 6 November. Officials and media reported that high winds ripped roofs off buildings and disrupted electricity supply in several areas.

Videos and photos shared on social media show blizzard conditions in Yekaterinburg, the administrative centre of the Sverdlovsk region, with gusts tearing off roofs and sending debris through the air. Uralhydromet, the Sverdlovsk region's weather service, said winter had arrived in the city with gusty winds, heavy snowfall and a thunderstorm, which the local weather station recorded at 10 a.m.

Cause and impact

Meteorologists explained that a low-pressure system pushed a cold front across the Ural mountain range. Temperatures fell below freezing and rain turned to snow.

According to the regional branch of Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry, partial blackouts affected at least 12 towns with a combined population of about 90,000. The outages were concentrated mostly in the southeast of the Sverdlovsk region.

One person was reportedly killed in a highway accident caused by icy roads, though officials did not immediately confirm the death. The news outlet Ostorozhno Novosti reported damage to Yekaterinburg's main railway station. It added that the neighbouring Chelyabinsk and Perm regions also experienced heavy snow, partial blackouts and wind-damaged roofs.

Forecast

Forecasters expect the low-pressure system to move north along the Ural range through Friday, spreading blizzards across the northern part of the Sverdlovsk region. It is set to leave freezing temperatures and icy roads behind before weakening over the weekend.