The 2023/2024 winter in Mongolia was its snowiest in nearly 50 years, reports the Mongolian National News Agency:
This winter holds the record for the most snow in Mongolia since 1975, having 9.6 mm of snowfall or 1.6 times more than the long-term average. The winter of 2009-2010 was the last when Mongolia experienced the heaviest snowfall of 8.5 mm throughout the country, which was 1.4 times more than the long-term average.
The National Emergency Management Agency informed that most parts of Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, Khuvsgul, and Tuv aimags and some parts of Bulgan, Dundgobi, Dornogobi, and Khentii aimags have had 1.2-3.6 times more snowfall this month in comparison with the long-term average.
The snowfall in December 2023 was 1.9 times higher than the long-term average for the country, and the snowfall in January was more than double long-term average for that month nationwide.
Even before the last snowfall fell, in early February the United Nations reported the harsh winter conditions were putting “90% of country at ‘high risk,’” having taken the lives of millions of livestock, decimating Mongolia’s herder economy.