"The 'Tsar Snowdrift' - a huge mountain of snow with makeshift tunnels and slopes for sledging - has appeared in central Moscow on Tuesday. Footage taken on Tuesday shows students from nearby universities taking time out of their studies to play in the snow - although none could say exactly where the new attraction came from or who made it. "This is how I spent my leisure time after the organic chemistry exam," revealed one student Ivan. "The snowdrifts were probably about three metres high. The entire street was closed, and there we were, walking, crawling, climbing, and sliding down on cardboard boxes." "Did the students make these holes?" one reporter added. "It's hard to say. Most likely, yes - probably students or children. Perhaps it's not just kids; anyone could have done it," Ivan added. "Imagine being brought here as a tourist. This snowdrift has now become the main attraction in Moscow," said Nadezhda. The city’s municipal authorities reported that snowfall continues in some areas, with up to 12 centimetres of snow expected by Wednesday. Utilities are working around the clock to clear the streets and manage the bad weather. According to the Fobos weather centre, a significant share of the month’s snowfall fell within a single day. Leading specialist Yevgeni Tishkovets said 42 percent of the January average was recorded in 24 hours. "On 9 January, the 1976 record was broken with 12.9 millimetres of precipitation recorded in the capital. It was literally one millimetre short of repeating the daily record for the entire January, which has been held since 1970. In other words, there has not been such a snowy apocalypse in Moscow in the middle of winter for the last 56 years!" Tishkovets said. Weather conditions in the Moscow region remain affected by the weakening Cyclone Frances. Forecasters expect light snowfall to continue."