The temperature in Astana suddenly dropped to -28°C

I knew Astana is one of the three coldest capitals in the world, alongside Ulanbataar and Ottawa, but the Astana winter took me by surprise. 

After the howling winds of the autumn and the first flurries of snow, one clear sunny morning in mid-November I was in a taxi when the driver mentioned the temperature had dropped to -16°C. 

“Look, the river has frozen,” he added as we crossed one of the bridges over the Esil. 

Sudden arrival of winter in Astana

After my meeting, I decided to save money by travelling home by bus, taking one to the House of Ministries, where I had to change to a second bus that would take me back across the Esil to my flat. 

Standing outside the government building with a crowd of civil servants, I realised that although the sun was out, it was considerably colder than it had been that morning. However much I tried to shelter behind the bus stop or other people, I was still exposed to the icy wind for most of the 15 minute wait.

Being in the bus helped a bit but by the time I got home my body was in a state of shock. When I took my tights off, I discovered big red blotches on my thighs. I had to have a hot drink and a shower, and huddle up under my duvet for half an hour before I felt normal again. 

When I checked the weather forecast on my phone, I saw the temperature had dropped to -25°C. 

I need a puhovik

I had delayed buying a new winter coat, not knowing how much to spend or what type I should get. Locals had advised me to buy a “puhovick” — a huge anorak filled with down that would cover me from my neck to the knee. 

I adopted the Russian word since we didn’t even have a word for this type of coat in England there being no need for such a garment, though I later found out that in the US and Canada they and called down coats. 

In Almaty I had managed with a stylish wool coat from Massimo Dutti and I resented having to spend several hundred pounds on such an unflattering garment. That day, however, I realised I would need a puhovik immediately if I was to survive the winter in Astana. 

I took another bus to the Finn Flare shop on the right bank, where I brought a navy one that came down well below my knees and was inches thick, though it did at least have a waistband so I didn’t look like a giant blue plastic duvet. I also started wearing the fluffy white fur hat a friend had bought me for my birthday. It had seemed like a novelty souvenir at the time; now I needed it every day. 

A week later, the temperature had dropped to -28°C with a wind chill of -30°C. 

More posts about daily life in Astana

Astana, Kazakhstan’s glittering capital on the steppe 

Where to find old Astana

Hanging out at the malls in Astana

Spring comes to Astana 

How to survive winter in Astana