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Almaty residents woke up to a surprising and heavy snowfall، turning the city streets into a winter wonderland and sparking widespread discussion on social media. Many took to sharing photos of the snow-covered scenes، humorously suggesting that the calendar had somehow skipped ahead، creating a fictional 'February 39th' to explain the unseasonably late winter weather.

A City Covered in Snow

As dawn broke، residents began flooding social media with images of their snow-laden courtyards، roads، and parks. The unexpected winter scene، reminiscent of a holiday movie set rather than early March، contrasted sharply with the warmer temperatures experienced just days prior، which had given many the impression that spring had truly arrived.

This sudden change in weather significantly impacted daily commutes، causing traffic congestion on major routes and slowing down vehicle movement. Drivers were urged to exercise extreme caution on the slippery roads.

Kazakhstan's Humorous Response

The unusual weather event did not go unnoticed by the public، who responded with a mix of amusement and resignation. Many shared their thoughts online، with some embracing the picturesque snowy landscape and the winter atmosphere. Others، however، expressed their weariness of the cold and a strong desire for spring's arrival.

Jokes about March experiencing a 'reminder' of winter circulated widely، with some users humorously dubbing the day 'February 39th' on platforms like Instagram، while others advised adapting to the unpredictable climate.

Official Response and Cleanup Efforts

According to Kazhydromet، precipitation began as rain on March 10th، transitioning to wet snow and continuing until the morning of March 11th. During this period، the city received approximately 27 centimeters of snow.

The Almaty city administration reported that snow removal operations commenced on major highways overnight. Specialized equipment، accompanied by traffic police، worked in convoys to clear the roads. Additionally، smaller machinery and municipal workers were deployed to clear sidewalks، public transport stops، pedestrian crossings، staircases، and ramps.

"To ensure safety on the city's roads، 75 rapid response teams، 2،710 road workers، and 1،225 special vehicles have been mobilized. Over 200 snow-clearing machines are treating roads with anti-icing materials. After treatment، the vehicles divide into 28 convoys to begin sweeping the main streets،" the administration stated.

The city authorities are urging residents to remain cautious. Drivers are advised to reduce speed and maintain a safe distance، while pedestrians are encouraged to be careful on sidewalks. Residents are also asked not to obstruct snow-clearing equipment and to avoid parking vehicles along the roads to facilitate prompt cleanup.

This information was reported by the Infohub.kz news agency.