© AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Residents of the European part of Russia, according to the preliminary forecast of Roshydromet, waiting for one of the warmest March in the last 10 years.

On the first day of the calendar spring, March 1, already warmer than normal in the Moscow region told TASS the chief of the situation centre of Roshydromet Yuri Varakin.

According to him, from-for sharp warming began melting the snow in Central Russia and the North-West of the country.

Will not be cold in the Urals and in Western Siberia where, in early March, according to varakina, will remain moderate frosts and precipitation in the form of snow. Only in Yakutia and Krasnoyarsk region the temperature in the first decade will be below normal by a few degrees.

Long-awaited warming

“In early March we expect the weather warm norm by 6-8 degrees on the territory of Belarus and Ukraine . There the air warms up to 12-15 degrees of heat, therefore, this warm front will affect the European part of Russia. In particular, at the beginning of March will become warmer in the Leningrad, Pskov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions, the West – South – West of the Smolensk region, in the South of the Central Chernozem region. In General, according to the preliminary forecast, in the European part of Russia, this March could be one of the warmest in the last 10 years, with the rise in temperature of 1.5-2 degrees of the average monthly norm,” – said Varakin.

According to him, in these regions will be dominated by positive daily average temperatures, which will lead to a sharp decrease in snow cover. “For example, at the moment in Moscow, the snow depth is 24 cm, and just 10 days ago, it was equal to 32 to 34 centimeters. The height of snow cover on climate norms are more typical for the second decade of March”, – said the Agency interlocutor.

The capital region of strong precipitation up to 8 March can be expected, said a forecaster. “Snow will continue to melt and, most likely, by early March we lose up to 6-8 cm of snow cover. So the snow cover in Moscow by the 10th of March will not exceed 12 cm, which corresponds to the end of March – beginning of April. The snowmelt we are ahead, if we take the figures of the Central Russia” – said Varakin.

He added that it will be warm in the Crimea, Krasnodar Krai, on the black sea coast of the Caucasus, the Kuban. “Here in the first week the temperature background will be close to normal. In the afternoon the air will warm up to 10-12 degrees,” – said Varakin.

Moderate frosts in the Urals and Siberia

According to him, a warm front from the Central part of Russia will get down to the Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk region, Tyumen, Novosibirsk, Omsk regions. “Therefore, low temperatures in the first half of March we don’t expect. Mostly will be moderate cold with precipitation in the form of snow. Thaw, in contrast to Central Russia, the Urals and Siberia in early March, will not” – said Varakin.

He noted that it is not necessary to wait for the abundant snowmelt in early March and in the North Caucasus. “On the territory of the North Caucasus republics this winter fell a lot of snow. Active snowmelt will begin not earlier than April,” – said the head of the situational center of Roshydromet.

According to him, intensification of cyclones in the beginning of March will remain at the sea of Okhotsk and the Bering sea. “Therefore, there is on the one hand the severe frosts do not wait, but the cyclones will bring precipitation in the form of wet snow on Chukotka, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and the North-North-East of the Khabarovsk region,” – said Varakin.

Cold weather will continue in the North-East of Yakutia, in the Central districts of Magadan region and on the Arctic coast, particularly the North-North-East of the Chukotka Autonomous district and the North – North-East of Krasnoyarsk Krai.

Preliminary results of winter

“According to preliminary data, winter in the European part of Russia was slightly colder than normal. February, if you take Moscow and the Moscow region was warmer than normal by almost 3 degrees average monthly temperature,” – said Varakin.

He added that rainfall the winter was also “uneven”. “Precipitation in the form of snow near normal for the Central region, slightly above the norm in the Northwest. It is, in particular, Arkhangelsk, Vologda regions, the Komi Republic, Volgo-Vyatka district. Also more than normal rain fell in the Volga Federal district, southern Siberia, Altai mountains, in the South of the Novosibirsk region, Tomsk, Tyumen regions,” – said the chief of the situation centre of Roshydromet.

Given the situation, the flood can be in Siberia on the rivers Biya, the Ob, the Tom. “At the same time less than normal precipitation fell in the Kaliningrad region, so there, we are not expecting any flooding,” – said Varakin.

According to him, an accurate forecast on flood Roshydromet will only be given after March 15.