Car thieves appeared to have joined many school children and shop owners, not to mention the residents of Moscow's zoo, in deciding to stay indoors and wait for more clement weather before resuming normal service.
While 34 cars were stolen in Moscow on January 16, when temperatures began to plummet, that figure fell away to 28 on January 17, 22 on January 18, and only 17 on January 19, according to police statistics. Around 30 cars typically go missing each day in the city.
Moscow's law enforcers, on the other hand, appeared to be rather hardier than their quarry. With temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius stimulating police into action, the number of recovered vehicles is on the increase. Just 27 stolen cars were found on January 16, but that figure jumped to 32 on January 17, and 39 cars on January 18 - when temperatures were at their lowest.
Still, the big freeze is not all good news for the more than three million drivers who brave the city's often-chaotic roads. Even those lucky enough to find their car where they left it might struggle to get it anywhere, unless they follow experienced Russian drivers' advice to run the engine every few hours to keep the frost at bay.
