Snowy frosty winters - who doesn't love them? Remember how great it was in childhood to play snowballs, sculpt a snowman. But recently in winter there is no such an abundant amount of precipitation. So what to expect next? When is snowfall expected in Moscow?
Is a lot of snow good?
Of course, not everyone is happy with harsh winters, especially when the weather in Moscow presents snowfall. Drivers and road services such conditions create a lot of inconvenience. For motorists, these are traffic jams, snow drifts and many other unpleasant moments. Road services add the hard work of clearing roads day and night.
But let's look at it from the positive side. A lot of rainfall is a game of snowballs, and fun walks in the park, skiing and sledding. Which of us didn’t want to return to childhood even a little? And winter with its snowfalls gives everyone such an opportunity.
How much snow falls in Moscow
The amount of snowfall in Moscow during the winter period of recent years is very unstable. So, over the past ten years there have been winters, both with a minimal amount of snow and almost a record one. But, on average, the snow depth in Moscow is about 50 cm. And, for example, in the winter of 2016-2017. there was not much rainfall - the height of the cover was about 38 cm.
The first snow mostly falls in the middle or end of November. But at this time there are no such strong snowstorms and drifts on the roads. And the snow, as a rule, falls wet, or with rain. But by mid-December, weather conditions begin to change, and by the New Year the earth is already covered with a snow-white coverlet. However, the weather can surprise both with rain in December and heavy snowfalls in March.
Most snowless winter
The winter period with the smallest amount of precipitation in the form of snow fell in 2013-2014. Snowfalls in Moscow this season were the weakest and most insignificant. This situation was recorded in the capital for the first time in the history of winter meteorology. The maximum snow depth was then only 18 cm.
Not much snow fell in the winter of 2007-2008. Although the average duration of winter was daily normal, there wasn’t much rainfall. The average height of the snow cover at this time was no more than 24 cm. The remaining winters, according to data for the last ten years, fit into the accepted standard.
Record snowfall
The winter period of 2012-2013 became abnormal in the amount of precipitation. This season was the heaviest snowfall in Moscow. Usually the amount of precipitation during the winter in March begins to decrease, but this year, on the contrary, it increased from 36 cm to as much as 52 cm.
This season also set a record for the amount of snow that fell in one day. So, March 13, 2013 in Moscow began a heavy snowfall, which lasted for three whole days. During this time, the cyclone brought the metropolitan region as much as 42 cm of snow to the surface of the earth. During these three days, the monthly rainfall fell in Moscow.
The latest snowfalls in Moscow were recorded in the outgoing year. Winter recalled itself on June 2, which is an abnormal phenomenon for the temperate climatic zone in which Moscow is located. Prior to this, snowfall was considered the latest, which occurred on April 26 and 27, 1971. So much rain fell in two days this spring that the height of the snow cover, albeit temporary, amounted to as much as eight centimeters. And the temperature these days was quite low for a given time of the year. She dropped to -3 ° C.
The highest snowdrifts
High snowdrifts in Moscow in recent years is not such a frequent occurrence. Indeed, their formation is affected not only by the amount of precipitation, but also by the gusts of wind that form them. If you look at the data of the meteorological center of the Russian Federation over the past 20 years, you can see that the highest snowdrifts in Moscow were recorded for a long time. It was in the winter of 1993-1994. During this period there was not only heavy snowfall, but also gusts of wind reached more than seven meters per second.
Record snowdrifts were recorded at the end of February 1994. Then in just a few days in the capital of Russia, snowdrifts reached a height of as much as 78 centimeters. However, it should be borne in mind that with gusts of wind that were in those days (seven meters per second), the resulting snowdrifts can exceed the amount of precipitation by tens of times.
Simply put, ten millimeters of snowfall in windy weather will increase the thickness of the snow cover by ten centimeters, and 30 mm will turn it into 30 cm and so on. If there is wet snow on the street and a strong wind blows, then the thickness of the cover will be much less, this is explained by the severity and density of wet snow.
