A historic blizzard engulfed Moscow in snow on Friday, causing considerable disruption by toppling trees onto vehicles and leading to power outages for tens of thousands in the surrounding areas.

This snowfall represents the first instance in 75 years of operation for Moscow’s main weather station to record snow cover on May 2, according to Mikhail Leus from the Phobos weather center.

At the VDNKh exhibition center, snow accumulation reached 7 centimeters, while some regions around Moscow experienced up to 15 centimeters of white powder.

Fallen trees caused damage to vehicles and brought down power lines across roads, railways, and parking areas. Moscow region’s Governor, Andrei Vorobyov, reported that at least 26,000 residents lost power overnight as emergency teams worked swiftly to restore electrical service.

In the aftermath of the blizzard, the transportation department of the Moscow Mayor’s Office issued a warning that the snow might impact bus services and advised motorists to avoid parking next to trees and unstable structures.

Phobos has indicated that icy conditions may occur on Saturday, before warmer temperatures are expected to return on Sunday.

This record-breaking snowfall followed a day of unprecedented rainfall in Moscow on Thursday and came after a notably mild winter. In total, the capital and its surrounding suburbs, home to 22 million people, received 71% of the typical May precipitation in just 36 hours.