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21 December 2001
Cold weather has prevailed in Eastern Europe for about a month now as a steady, steep drop in temperatures began when cold air arrived in late October. Temperatures continuously plummeted through November and well into December as cold air from Russia and Ukraine moved into the region. By mid-November temperatures were averaging well below normal across the whole of Eastern Europe. Snow coverage has gradually increased through December in most of the area (with the exception of the maritime influenced area of northern Poland), providing a blanket of insulation against the coldest temperatures. Eastern Poland and central Hungary have so far recorded the coldest temperatures in the agricultural regions of Eastern Europe for the season. Eastern Poland has twice dipped to a low close -20 C, but during both events snow-cover protected dormant winter grains. Hungary experienced a night (Dec. 10th) of temperatures approaching -20 C with little or no snow protection however the extreme conditions in Hungary lasted only one night and likely caused little or no damage to the winter grains.
TEMPERATURES:
Departure from normal temperatures: Dec
1- 10 and Dec. 11 - 20
Departure
from normal temperature map (Dec. 9 - 15)
MINIMUM LOWS:
(Showing lowest temperatures experienced in agricultural region of Eastern Europe this winter)
Minimum
Temperatures in Central Hungary
Minimum
Temperatures in Eastern Poland
Average Temperatures in important agricultural regions of Eastern Europe
(last several weeks all below last season)
Hungary
Vojvodina,
Serbia
Central
Romania-Bulgaria Border Region
Eastern
Poland
Eastern
Romania/Bulgaria
SNOWFALL:
Protective
snowfall on the coldest night (December 10)
Protective
snowfall as of December 20
Misc.
Current Weather in Eastern Europe
For more information, please contact Bryan Purcell with
the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202)
690-0138.
email: purcellb@fas.usda.gov
