Rare 5 cm Snowfall and almost All-day Frost in Tiksi, Siberia, in the Middle of the Season of Sunlight

TIKSI, SIBERIA — June 28, 2025 — In a remarkable reversal of seasonal expectations, the remote Arctic settlement of Tiksi, located on the northern Siberian coast, experienced rare mid-summer snowfall and frost, with up to 5 centimeters of snow accumulating — an extremely unusual event for late June, with cooldown into -1.8°C on June 26th 2025, only 2.2°C from all-time July record. Maximum temperature reached only +0.5°C on June 27th 2025 and minimum temperature -1.4°C on June 28th 2025.

🧊Snow in the Season of Sunlight

Situated above the Arctic Circle, Tiksi is no stranger to extreme weather. But snowfall during the period of the Midnight Sun, when the sun barely sets, is highly anomalous. This week, residents woke up to frozen white landscapes, a stark contrast to the region’s brief but intense summer.

While occasional cold days aren’t unheard of, accumulated snow and frost this late into the season had not been observed for years. The combination of Arctic air masses, clear skies, and a strong north wind allowed cold surface temperatures to drop below freezing overnight, enabling snow to stick to the ground.

🌡️Climate Contrast: Heat in the South, Snow in the North

The event comes during a period of extreme heat across southern Siberia and much of Asia, where record-breaking temperatures have plagued major cities and farmlands for weeks. Meanwhile, the far north is under the grip of an unusually persistent cold anomaly, reinforcing the growing climatic volatility across the region.

Meteorologists note that such opposing extremes — scorching heat in the interior and unexpected cold in Arctic regions — are becoming more frequent as global climate patterns destabilize.

🏔️Implications and Rarity

While no major damage has been reported, this rare summer frost and snowfall has:

Disrupted local transport and field activity
Surprised residents and researchers stationed in the area
Raised interest among climatologists observing Arctic anomalies

The phenomenon underscores the need for close monitoring of high-latitude weather, especially as the Arctic continues to behave in unexpected ways under changing atmospheric dynamics.

Tiksi’s frosty white morning in mid-summer is a powerful image in a world where weather no longer respects seasonal boundaries — and where the unexpected is becoming the new normal.