The reason for the abnormally warm winter in the European part of Russia, as well as in the Urals and part of Siberia, is air masses from the southernmost waters of the Atlantic, Roman Vilfand, scientific director of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia, told Lenta.ru. However, this does not necessarily mean an abnormally warm spring.
“If we compare the current temperature with the climate norms for 30 years, it turns out that the weather corresponds to the first ten days of April,” Vilfand said. “This is explained by the fact that this year, since the beginning of December, the weather in the European part of Russia, as well as in the Urals, in western and central Siberia, is controlled by Atlantic air, which happens extremely rarely.”
Continental climate, as the meteorologist explained, implies its formation without the participation of air masses from the ocean. But this year the rule was broken: air masses, according to Vilfand, move not just from the Atlantic, but from the southernmost waters, from the Mediterranean Sea and northern regions of Africa.
“The cyclone is very deep. So deep that its influence extends over a large area. That’s why we have spring weather now, it’s raining, there will be very little snow,” concluded he.