Volgograd Buried in Snow: Roads Become Impassable

During the night of 2–3 January, a powerful snow cyclone hit Volgograd. Over eight hours of intense precipitation, city roads were almost completely buried, causing widespread consequences both on the streets and inside buildings.

The precipitation, which started on the evening of 2 January, instantly paralyzed traffic. Many cars got stuck in snowdrifts, and tractors were needed to evacuate them. Icy conditions only worsened the situation, increasing the number of vehicles trapped.

In response to the situation, the governor of Volgograd Oblast at an emergency meeting decided to temporarily restrict traffic on the federal highway. The road was closed at 22:30, and its reopening was postponed until further notice, with no official information yet available.

On the morning of 3 January, the transport situation did not improve. Road services only partially cleared the main highways, while exiting from courtyard areas remained nearly impossible. According to the service «Yandex Maps», the level of traffic jams in the city reached the maximum 10 points, which also triggered a sharp rise in taxi fares.

Difficult conditions also arose for pedestrians, especially in areas remote from the center. Under the thick layer of fresh snow, a dense ice crust was hidden, making movement on uncleared sidewalks extremely dangerous.

In addition to the transport collapse, city residents faced the problem of cold in residential premises. With the onset of frosts, complaints about the lack of heating have increased again, including from residents of dormitory No. 1a in Veselaya Balka.

«The situation is critical, water in the plumbing is freezing in the house. They are forcing residents out of their only housing,» stated the residents.

At the company Concessii Teplosnabzheniya (the Heat Supply Concessions company), it was explained that the resource is being supplied to the building properly. «The heat supply was shut off on the in-house networks. It is necessary to contact the management organization,» noted the organization.

The reason for the lack of heating at the specified address is currently being investigated with the management company.