Snow Likely Minimized Damage In Russia Cold Snap
By Drew Lerner
Kansas City, January 3 (World Weather Inc.) – Occasional, light snow and snow flurries occurred across southwestern Russia, the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine during the long New Year holiday. Satellite imagery suggested widespread snow cover Friday and Saturday mornings when temperatures slipped near and below zero Fahrenheit. Sufficient snow cover may have been present when the coldest weather occurred, but it is unclear 
how well distributed the snow was since moisture totals from the snowfall were very light.
Occasional light snow fell across western Russia, Ukraine and Baltic States late last week and early in the weekend. However, precipitation totals were very light suggesting snowfall was erratic and light at times possibly leaving a few fields inadequately buried in snow leaving a few winter crops vulnerable to the bitter cold that was noted. Lowest morning temperatures Friday through Sunday were near and slightly below zero in most of western Russia, the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine with most lows varying from -13 to zero Fahrenheit (-23 to -18C) in the area of concern. Most of the region noted above was erratically covered in snowfall Thursday of last week raising some concern about possible winterkill. Much of west-central, southwestern Russia and Russia’s Southern Region were snow free at that time.
The distribution of precipitation during the weekend was not very impressive and for that reason there is some concern that some of the snow cover was only marginally deep enough to protect dormant wheat and rye from the bitter cold. Most of the temperatures were only slightly below zero Fahrenheit, but it will not be clear whether any winterkill occurred until the start of the spring growing season when crops begin to green up. World Weather, Inc. believes very little crop damage likely occurred, but some negative impact on crops cannot be ruled out. The situation certain does not support a widespread damage event and only a very small portion of the winter crops was likely impacted.
Snow cover has increased across much of Asia during the past week. Snow is on the ground from Ukraine, Belarus and Baltic States through the western and northern Kazakhstan and most of Russia’s Southern Region and areas east through parts of northern China. Turkey has snow on the ground in many areas as does northwestern Iran while most of Europe and east-central and southeastern China were snow free. Snow cover is also widespread in the northern United State and through all of Canada. There is a small part of New Mexico, western Texas and western Oklahoma that is also buried in snow.
Most of the bitter cold in western parts of the Commonwealth of Independent States will remain in place during the first half of this week. The coldest conditions will retreat back to the north during the second half of the week and into the coming weekend. Monday and Tuesday mornings will likely be coldest, but the impact on crops in the western CIS is not likely to change much.
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