A heavy snowstorm has hit Ukraine and it isn’t going to stop snowing any time soon.
Next week, Ukraine will see snowdrifts, blizzards and temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius on average, according to meteorologists.
As of Feb. 12, the winter storm has already covered Kyiv with up to 30 centimeters of snow. In some parts of Ukraine, including in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, snow accumulation reached over one meter.
Poor weather conditions in Ukraine are caused by a cyclone, an area with low atmospheric pressure, meteorologists say.
“We don’t live somewhere in the tropics, where the anticyclone remains active for six months,” defending from snowstorms, said Vladyslav Bilyk, head of the meteorological forecasts department at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center.
That’s why these weather conditions are usual for Ukraine, he added.
Although weather will remain cold from Feb. 15 to Feb. 21, even falling to -27 degrees Celsius in Chernihiv and Sumy Oblasts, Bilyk forecasts very little snow that week.
Communal services across Ukraine struggled to clear the snow, because of insufficient technical equipment and staff.
In Kyiv, citizens regularly complain about snowed-in roads and slippery sidewalks. Municipal employees say they do their best. Kyiv officials mobilized about 500 snow clearing vehicles and nearly 500 people to remove the snow in the capital.
The fleet includes two innovative snow-melting machines purchased by Kyiv authorities three years ago.
Because of the high risk of road accidents, heavy trucks are restricted from entering Kyiv and from moving on many highways in Western Ukraine.
Due to worsening weather conditions, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has even ordered to shut down all schools and kindergartens on Feb. 11–12.
In Lviv, communal services came up with the idea to cover sidewalks with coffee grounds. Polish cities, Warsaw and Krakow, followed Lviv’s suit.
Despite cleaning efforts, weather conditions keep causing massive traffic jams in cities and on highways.
According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, as of Feb. 12, 86 towns in six oblasts have suffered energy blackouts because of the poor weather conditions.
The emergency service pulled 802 vehicles from snowdrifts since the snowstorms began.
State road agency Ukravtodor is using 1,200 vehicles to try to keep the highways clear.
State railway company Ukrzaliznytsia is keeping its tracks clear with the 27 locomotives equipped with snowplows. Some trains, however, were still delayed by 5-6 hours on Feb. 12.
