Roads through mountain passes in Dagestan are closed due to a snowstorm.

Due to a snowstorm, the Kharibsky and Butsrakhsky passes, which are used by national highways, are closed to traffic in the mountains of Dagestan.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on February 28, two national highways through the Kharibsky and Butsrakhsky passes were closed to traffic due to snowfall. Clearing the roads will begin once the weather improves, Dagestanavtodor warned. The road through the Butsrakh Pass opened on March 2, and through the Kharib Pass on the fourth day, March 3. The Kharib Pass, which historically served as a road between the mountainous and lowland Dagestan, is located on the border of the Gumbetovsky and Kazbekovsky districts at an altitude of over 2,500 meters above sea level. The villages of Artlukh and Danukh are located at the foot of the mountain. On February 28, the pass was closed on two adjacent sections of the Khasavyurt-Tlokh national highway in the Gumbetovsky and Kazbekovsky districts. The Butsrakh Pass is part of the Mekhelta-Gagatli regional highway, the Gumbetovsky District administration reports.

The Khasavyurt-Tlokh highway is closed at the Kharib Pass in the Gumbetovsky District (46-60 km) and the adjacent section in the Kazbekovsky District (34-46 km), Dagestanavtodor reported today on its Telegram channel.

The road is closed "due to a snowstorm and zero visibility." "Clearance work will begin when favorable weather conditions arrive," the publication states.

The road through the Butsrakh Pass, a section of the Mekhelta-Gagatli highway in the Gumbetovsky District, is also closed for the same reason. "Clearance work will begin upon completion of the Khasavyurt-Tlokh road," the department stated.

As a reminder, in May 2023, more than 20 tourists were stranded in the mountains when the Kharib Pass was closed due to snowfall. Local residents came to the tourists' aid and later provided them with overnight accommodations.

Residents of Dagestan's mountain villages have also repeatedly encountered transportation problems due to inclement weather. In early February 2026, roads in the Tsuntinsky District were blocked by snow after avalanches, and local residents had to carry the body of a deceased person several kilometers for burial in his home village.

On March 25, 2025, an avalanche hit a road in the Tsuntinsky District. A temporary passage was established, but the next day, another avalanche occurred in the same area. Local residents were forced to help repair power lines after wires were downed by the wet snow.

In February 2023, residents of the village of Khutrakh in the Tsuntinsky District were forced to carry a woman in need of urgent medical attention for two kilometers through snowdrifts. Due to the snowfall, the roads were covered with a thick layer of snow, and the ambulance could not get there.