MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. The meteorological observatory of Lomonosov Moscow State University has registered an exceptional volume of precipitation in January, the highest level recorded over the past 203 years, the MSU press service told TASS.

"January is drawing to a close as the snowiest month in Moscow in the last 203 years. The first month of 2026 proved to be cold and exceptionally snowy for the capital. The intense snowfall was driven by deep and expansive cyclones with sharp weather fronts passing over the Moscow Region," the press service said.

According to data from the MSU Meteorological Observatory as of January 29, air temperatures in the capital are 1.5 degrees below the climatic norm, which stands at minus 6.2 degrees Celsius for January.

Mikhail Lokoshchenko, head of the MSU Meteorological Observatory and a leading researcher at the university’s Faculty of Geography, said the observatory has recorded nearly 92 mm of precipitation so far this month, a record high for the entire 203-year observation period.

Despite ongoing climate warming, Lokoshchenko noted, the depth of snow cover in Moscow remains stable due to an overall rise in winter precipitation. Thick snow cover is being sustained not only by frequent snowfalls, but also by the prolonged absence of thaws.