Weather quirk makes Russian city a frozen hellscape, PHOTO battle ensues…

Residents of Saratov, a city in southern Russia, are competing online over who can post the scariest photo of snow-trapped cars and ice-bound houses in the wake of a weather quirk that hit their community.

This week, Saratov was hit by a record-high amount of precipitation unseen in three decades combined with temperatures alternating between thaw and freeze. City services were unprepared for it and are now saying it will take at least two weeks to clear all of the snow and ice from rooftops and streets.

As the city struggles to deal with the situation with its limited resources, Saratov residents are finding at least some solace in the disaster, a unique photo opportunity. Dozens of images showing the aftermath of the weather quirk were shared online. A hashtag which translates to #IcicleBattle is being used by people claiming to have found the weirdest ice formation.

Others have been sharing their theories on why the disaster happened in the first place… and some are pretty compelling.

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