Kamchatka Faces Severe Winter Storm: Schools Close and Work Hours Reduced Amidst Heavy Snow and Ice

The Kamchatka Peninsula in Far East Russia is facing its first major winter storm, which has caused a dangerous combination of snow, ice, and rain. As a result, schools in the regional capital have closed, and authorities have implemented shorter work hours.

Social media footage showed emergency responders working from Wednesday night into Thursday morning to remove excess meltwater that had flooded streets, compelling some drivers to navigate in water up to the height of their vehicles.

This low-pressure storm system, which originated off the eastern coast of Japan earlier this week, moved north towards Kamchatka, bringing heavy snowfall, freezing rain, and winds that nearly reached hurricane strength.

“We are at the heart of the storm, and the worst is yet to come… We cannot let our guard down,” warned Governor Vladimir Solodov early Thursday.

He instructed emergency, utility, and road services to operate continuously, and directed local officials to keep all available snow removal equipment active, manage water drainage, and take preventative measures to protect infrastructure.

Solodov also recommended that businesses in Kamchatka reduce their work hours to ensure that workers could return home safely before conditions deteriorated further.

On Thursday, officials in the capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, canceled classes and after-school activities for the second consecutive day as another storm system approached from the west over the Sea of Okhotsk.

In the past three days, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has received approximately one-third of its expected monthly precipitation.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that all its personnel in Kamchatka are on high alert as wind gusts reached 21 meters per second (47 miles per hour).

Emergency responders aided six residents who were stranded due to the storm. Authorities confirmed that there were no interruptions to heating or electricity, and the regional airport continued to operate normally.