25 Dec 2009

Heavy snow in Saint Petersburg

10:35 am on 25 December 2009

Saint Petersburg has been blanketed by the heaviest snowfall to hit the former Russian imperial capital since 1881.

The city council says the snow is 14cm deep.

Residents say the exceptional snowfall has snarled traffic and more than doubled travel times in parts of the city.

Officials have deployed 1216 snowploughs, 340 lorries and more than 1000 workers to clear the snow.