Unfavorable weather conditions and industrial waste are the chief causes for the appearance of black snow in the Siberian city of Omsk according to regional authorities.
Russian social media users have been posting photos of the black snow with comments such as “the carbon plant is doing something incredible” and “the childrens’ playgrounds are all black.”
The local ecology ministry announced on its website on Wednesday that warnings had been issued to local industries to help prevent black snow, including threats of fines.
Omsk previously experienced black snowfall in 2014, which residents believed was related to local power plants. In December 2017, vibrant blue snow covered a neighborhood in St. Petersburg after chemical leaks that were declared to be non-toxic.
