The Ice Age Cometh! Forget Global Warming!

[Deneb]

Looks like Russia (& Kamchatka region especially) have had massive amounts of snow, the highest recorded since 130 years ago:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2013264799296078228

https://www.news18.com/photogallery/world/apocalyptic-scenes-as-russias-kamchatka-battles-record-snowfall-photos-ws-l-9843241.html

This is quite outrageous fake, at least 8 story building + at least half that of snow over the roof gives us some 30m of snow minimum
while yandex reports
In January 2026, in some areas of Kamchatka, more than 2 meters of snow fell. In parts of the peninsula, snowfall tallies reached levels that are rarely seen in modern recordkeeping. 45
Here are some other snowfall figures for Kamchatka:

• in urban centers — 250 to 320 cm of snow within three weeks;
• in mountain villages — up to 500 cm due to drift accumulation;
• snowbanks exceeding 15 meters in narrow streets.

 

[iamthatis]

Or, not that we know of. If you think about the latitudes that were affected something doesn't make sense.

How can all the countries in Europe be affected, skip Russia and devastate north America and Canada with a huge ocean in between over three years.

Europe's crop growing seasons are generally 9 months. Russia's growing seasons are 6 months at best.

Europe's normal winters are 3-4 months with temperatures averaging 0 degrees C. Russia's winters are 6-8 months with average of -15 to -20C.

Just looking at the math, they must have been affected.

Yep, you're right - Russia was affected, but less than Europe and North America. It looks like the uneven consequences weren't due to a persistent Arctic low like I thought. Here's a breakdown from DeepSeek, which seems to come from actually existing, well-cited sources.

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1.​

• The "Veil" Was Not Uniform: While Tambora's aerosol veil cooled the entire Northern Hemisphere, its effects on precipitation and storm tracks were regional. The eruption disrupted the monsoons and strengthened certain pressure systems.
• North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO): Evidence suggests the eruption may have triggered a negative NAO phase. This leads to colder winters and cooler, wetter summers in Western Europe and the eastern United States/Canada—exactly the conditions that destroy grain harvests (frost in summer, relentless rain, lack of sun).
• Russia's Continental Shield: While Russia experienced significant cooling, its climate is already more continental (harsher winters, shorter growing season). The abnormal weather patterns that specifically caused summer frosts and "killing rains" in New England and the UK were less extreme further east. The cold in Russia was more in line with a severe version of its normal variability.

2.​

• Crop Vulnerability: The staple crops of Western Europe and New England in 1816 were wheat, oats, and hay—highly sensitive to summer frost and a lack of sunshine. A few cold nights in July could destroy an entire harvest.
• Russian Agricultural Buffer: Russian peasants relied more on hardier grains like rye, which is more cold-tolerant. Furthermore, Russia's agricultural system was less intensive and had more margin for a bad year, compared to the densely populated, market-focused farms of Western Europe.
• The Grain Export Benefit: Ironically, the crisis in Europe created a huge economic opportunity for Russia. European governments and merchants desperately sought grain imports to avert famine. Russia, the "breadbasket of Europe," saw skyrocketing grain prices and demand. This provided a massive financial inflow to Russian landowners and the state treasury, which could offset domestic hardship in some regions.

3.​

• Serfdom as a Shock Absorber: This is a grim but crucial point. Russia's serfdom system bound peasants to the land. In Western Europe and North America, crop failure meant farmers went bankrupt, faced eviction, and became starving refugees or rioters. In Russia, while serfs suffered terribly from hunger, they were less able to migrate or revolt on a mass scale in 1816-1818. Their distress was more contained geographically and socially.
• Lower Population Density: European Russia, while populous, had a much lower population density than regions like the British Isles or New England. Pressure on the land and food resources was somewhat less intense.
• State Priorities: The Russian state under Tsar Alexander I was focused on maintaining stability after the Napoleonic Wars. It prioritized grain exports for revenue and geopolitical influence, while using its authoritarian apparatus to suppress any potential unrest from domestic shortages.
  
  
  

• Summary: A Tale of Two Impacts​

  • In Western Europe & North America: The impact was a direct, catastrophic shock to the core of their economies and food systems. It caused famine, epidemic disease (typhus), mass migration (the "Year Without a Summer" prompted thousands to leave New England for the Midwest), and widespread social unrest (food riots in the UK and France).
  • In Russia: The impact was primarily a climate anomaly that was mitigated by socio-economic structures. It caused localized hardship and likely increased mortality among the peasantry, but this was overshadowed by the massive economic windfall from grain exports and contained by the system of serfdom. The state and landowning elite actually profited, while the poorest bore the cost.