Perhaps a few weeks earlier than usual, people in several regions of Kazakhstan awoke this morning to a light covering of snow, a both enchanting and inconvenient reality, depending on how it affects them.
Drivers are turning out to travel to work in weather conditions that necessitate more attentive handling of their vehicles, and according to Tengri News, KazAvtoZhol has issued warnings to this effect.
The evening rain in the capital, Astana, soon turned to overnight snow. The national meteorological service, Kazhydromet, has forecast further rain and snow in Astana on October 6 with cooling expected over the coming days, as cold as -3°C at night.
Cold weather in Astana is no surprise, and the infrastructure of the city is well-equipped to deal with harsh winters, not to mention also the fortitude of the locals, who see snow as part of the deal in the futuristic northern capital.
Meanwhile, the south of the country is yet to experience any kind of winter, with autumn still asserting its authority, turning the leaves a range of colours, red and gold, most yet to fall, in the 15-20°C daytime temperatures.
Customers in Almaty still sit outside on cafe terraces, a handful using the blankets provided to fend off some of the chill in the air, the same reason as for kids being sent off to school wrapped up warm.
Winter divides opinion, and some people have a love-hate relationship with the snow that dominates the landscape for four months of every year.
Keen cyclist Yerzhan loves winter, but he speaks of how October is quite an emotional month for him on the bike that is such a big part of his life.
“I usually ride three or four days a week, but when October arrives, I know the season is coming to a close, so I try to get out every day. That’s not always easy, because I ride off-road a lot, and even if it isn’t snowing, the rain turns the trails to mud, which rules out some of my favourite rides.
“As soon as the snow sets in, that’s the end of my cycling until spring, and I miss it during the long winter months. I have an indoor trainer, but it’s not the same.”
Yerzhan will be pleased to recall that winter is usually a November-onwards thing in Kazakhstan, certainly in his hometown of Almaty, which means the current cold weather is not likely to stick around – not just yet. Warming is predicted, while a few more days of inclement weather are to be expected in various parts of the country this week.
