In the middle of last week, the town of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Kamchatka region in Russia’s far east was buried under several feet of snow. Two people were killed by snow falling from the roof. The Kamchatka Peninsula was also the site of a major earthquake and tsunami last year.
The city came to a standstill after the snow, the Moscow Times reported, with snowdrifts reaching the second floors of some buildings and blocking entrances. Some cars were completely buried in snow and were difficult to find.
On January 19, 2026, Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula witnessed the heaviest snowfall in 30 years. After images of the snowfall were widely spread on social media, the real situation on the streets and boulevards and daily life can be seen. (Photo by Alexander A. Piragis/Anadolu, via Getty Images)
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Jason Nichols confirmed that “this heavy snowfall is the result of a powerful storm that rose into the Sea of Okhotsk, resulting in heavy snowfall across the southern Kamchatka Peninsula last Wednesday and Thursday.”
Many videos showing extreme snowdrifts are not real
Social media is also flooded with AI videos of Arashi. Dozens of seemingly believable videos have been shared on TikTok and racked up millions of views. Some of these videos were published in major news outlets.
The issue of AI media masquerading as reporting local news is not new. Hurricane Helen also made extensive use of AI photography. It’s only recently that AI video software has become as good as the real thing. This storm of AI fakes is the worst we’ve ever seen. Here’s why:
Small Town, Big AI Problem
There’s no way a remote town of 160,000 people would produce dozens of different and amazing views of a snowstorm, especially from high-end cell phone cameras and drones.
Many of the most egregious videos generated by AI show apartment complexes over 10 stories tall, which would be unthinkable in a small town. Using Google Maps, it is difficult to find buildings over 4 floors in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. This is another sign that a viral video may not be real.
On January 19, 2026, Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula witnessed the heaviest snowfall in 30 years. After images of the snowfall were widely spread on social media, the real situation on the streets and boulevards and daily life can be seen. (Photo by Alexander A. Piragis/Anadolu, via Getty Images)
Part of the appeal of AI-generated video creators in this situation is that few people know what’s going on in Kamchatka, so the videos aren’t immediately flagged.
question physics
Some AI videos require the laws of physics to stop. Video purportedly from the event shows people sledding down snowdrifts that nearly covered the apartment complex. Anyone who has experienced snow knows that no matter how deep you are, you will sink into a snowdrift. That’s why skis and snowshoes are used in deep snow. The video also shows the sled sliding at extreme speeds that cannot be accommodated by the drift angle.
This storm continues the trend of snow in the city this season
This historic snow falls after December, when there was already snow on the ground. “Such a situation is extremely rare in modern observations. The last time we saw something like this was more than 50 years ago, in the early 1970s,” Vera Poliakova, director of Kamchatka’s Hydrometeorological Center, told the Moscow Times.
People walk through a snow maze as Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula receives its heaviest snowfall in 30 years on January 19, 2026. (Photo by Alexander A. Piragis/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Snowfall in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was three times the December average, and snowfall in the first half of January was 150%. Polyakova said snowfall after this last storm reached 5.5 feet deep, with snowdrifts reaching 8 feet.
