The key facts

  • On November 5, Moscow expects rain with snow, night temperatures around 0°C, daytime +4…+6°C, and wind gusts of up to 12–14 m/s
  • According to the Hydrometeorological Center, stable snow cover will form in the second half of November
  • Car owners were previously advised to switch to winter tires

Wet snow and near-zero temperatures on November 5

Light rain with snow and temperatures around zero are expected in Moscow on November 5. RIA Novosti was told this by Tatyana Pozdnyakova, chief specialist at the capital's meteorological bureau: the minimum temperature will be around 0°C, with daytime temperatures of +4…+6°C. A dense north-westerly wind of 5–10 m/s is expected, with gusts of up to 12–14 m/s in some places.

Snow cover — only closer to the end of the month

The report of the first wet snow does not mean the start of winter: Lyudmila Parshina, leading meteorologist at Russia's Hydrometeorological Center previously stated that the formation of noticeable snow cover in Moscow is expected in the second half of November and closer to the end of the month. According to her, there will be no stable cover in the near future, and in the first half of the month only short-lived snowfalls are possible. Thus, according to available forecasts, the snow on November 5 will be exactly such a short-lived episode.

What this means for drivers

Against the backdrop of the cold snap, Moscow car owners were previously advised to switch to winter tires: even without stable snow cover, individual snowfalls and near-zero temperatures create conditions under which summer tires are considered unsafe. The recommendation concerned precisely changing tires due to the onset of cold weather, not any ban or restriction on driving.