Moscow's very white Christmas

Moscow, Russia had it's third heaviest snowfall since 1879 just before Christmas, when 25 cm (9.8 inches) of snow plastered the city on December 20 - 21. Moscow's biggest snowstorm of all time was December 15 - 16, 1966, when a storm brought 27 cm (10.9 inches) of snow to the city. I was a little surprised to see a city so notorious for its winters has such a modest amount of snow for its record snowfall. But when you look at a map at Moscow's location in the middle of the Eurasian landmass, far from any any sources of warm, moist air that might lead to heavy snows, one can see why. Moscow has a moderately dry climate, averaging 27 inches (69 cm) of precipitation each year. An average of 22 inches (56 cm) of snow falls each December.

Jeff Masters