If you plan to visit St. Petersburg in the winter, you should be careful. This may be unknown and unexpected for tourists from many countries. Snow and ice can be dangerous.
Ice is very slippery. A person may fall and be injured by slipping on the ice. Snow on the roofs of houses can turn into ice and icicles under certain weather conditions. Falling from the roof, snow, ice and icicles can cause injury and even kill.
Do not underestimate this danger. Over 4,000 people were injured due to ice or by snow and ice falling from rooftops in St. Petersburg from December 1, 2018 to February 20, 2019. 3734 people were injured and were taken to hospital. One person died. He was a student at the Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University, a citizen of Uzbekistan.
Winter 2018 - 2019 was one of the snowiest in the last few years. It impossible to remove the snow from the sidewalks quickly. It is all the more difficult to remove snow from rooftops.
The central part of the city is the most dangerous in winter. Sidewalks are usually near houses in these areas. Snow can fall directly on the pavement from the roof. This does not mean that you do not need to come to St. Petersburg in the winter. Just need to be a little more careful.