Unseasonably Warm Weather
Russia has been experiencing some warm weather this winter. It has been so mild in St. Petersburg that two of the five bears at the Leningradsky Zoo are coming out of hibernation early. The hedgehogs are waking up early too. St Petersburg women and men are experiencing the opposite - having a hard time getting up because of the days of heavy cloud cover which makes the days seem even shorter because the sun is only out for around seven hours a day during this time of the year.
Compared to last winter, which was so cold that Russian women and men complained about days of 30 degree below zero weather, this winter has been tropical in comparison. Temperatures have been well below freezing and there has been very little snow.
And the worst - on one of the traditional days that Russians go out and take a dip in the frigid water to mark the Orthodox Epiphany feast - there was no ice and the air was not cold.
The entire country is not experiencing this, as it is still winter as usual is Siberia and the Far East of Russia. But the temperatures in Moscow and St. Petersburg have mostly stayed above freezing this year. On the positive side, costs for heating are much lower and warmer weather means more opportunities for social events and dating opportunities with those pretty Russian women out enjoying the mild weather.
