Earth Changes
The Emergency Situations Ministry said officials in the Omsk region, about 1,400 miles east of Moscow, had warned local residents not use the snow for drinking or other purposes, and to keep domestic animals from it.
The ministry said the snow, which fell on Wednesday afternoon, was yellow, green and orange and had an oily texture and unpleasant smell.
The storm followed snow and freezing drizzle that fell on the area Wednesday, causing dozens of accidents and four deaths.
The first storm, meanwhile, moved into Georgia and the Carolinas on Thursday, and forecasters warned that up to 4 inches of snow along with freezing rain could knock out power and plague drivers.
Snow and ice caused chaos across Germany on Saturday. A man was killed after losing control of his car on the icy roads, while four others were seriously injured in the accident in the town of Kierspe, North Rhine-Westphalia region. Two other people were killed in separate accidents in Rottweil in the southwest.
Low pressure has brought stormy conditions to the south of the country with strong winds, heavy rain, snow and low temperatures.
Holiday-makers who have travelled to Florida for a bit of winter sun would have been given a shivery shock this morning waking up to temperatures of 2C (36F) in Tampa, and 3C (37F) at Fort Myers. In the state temperatures usually range between around 10C (50F) and 23C (73F) by day and night in January.
It warns that if residents do not cut water consumption by more than 50% over the next 20 years, the city will become unsustainable.
More than 1,700 tremors have been recorded recently in the rugged, sparsely populated area dotted with volcanos and cut with fjords. Dozens of people slept outside or in tents on recent nights, fearing a larger quake might follow and topple their houses.
The Meteorologyl Department said the 5.37am earthquake occurred at 21.1 degrees North, 145.1 degrees East and about 3,370km northeast of Sandakan, Sabah.