Forecaster spoke about the unique weather anomaly for the New Year

“The record for maximum air temperature could be broken”

Take out insulated rubber boots and umbrellas. New Year holidays in the Moscow region will not just be warm, but wet. The rain will cover us. It is possible that in the first days of January the 50-year record of daily maximum air temperature will be broken. We talked with the leading specialist of the Fobos weather center Mikhail Leus about whether the snow will continue at the beginning of 2023 and when it will be possible to think about skiing and sledding again.

– Does the Heavenly Chancellery promise good weather?

“At the end of this year and at the beginning of the next one, a series of Atlantic cyclones will be responsible for the weather, which one after another pass through the north of the European territory of our country,” says Leus. – Moscow and the region, respectively, will be located on the southern periphery of these cloud vortices. Together with the western winds, rather humid air masses of Atlantic origin, well warmed by the Gulf Stream, will come. This means that the weather will be cloudy, and a thaw will come from the second half of December 30th.

Next night in Moscow will be – 0, plus 2 degrees. In the afternoon of December 31 – plus 1, plus 3, cloudy, light precipitation in the form of sleet, turning into rain.

What weather should we expect on New Year’s Eve?

– On New Year’s Eve it will be – 0, +2, and also light drizzle, sleet with rain. On the afternoon of January 1, this heat wave will reach its maximum, the temperature is expected to be within +3, +5 degrees. And the record of this day was set exactly 50 years ago, in 1973. Then the thermometer rose to +4.2 degrees.

– That is, the record can be broken?

— Yes, a very warm New Year awaits us with the possibility of setting a daily record for maximum air temperature on January 1st.

– If it rains, the snow will not remain?

– There will be a lot of snow, on holidays it will not go anywhere, it will not completely disappear, it will only become wet from above and not so white and beautiful in appearance.

When is the cold expected?

– On January 2, the cyclone, which will bring such a powerful wave of heat, will continue its journey to the east and gradually turn towards the capital with its cold part. On January 2, clearings will begin to appear in the clouds. The rain will turn into sleet, and then into snow. But there will be no heavy snowfall. By the evening of January 2, ice is formed, which can be very strong. During the day the temperature will be – 0, +2 degrees. On January 3, we will remember that it is winter outside. It will be cloudy with some snow. Light frosts are expected. At night – up to -3, -5 degrees, in the daytime – -1, -3. Happy New Year! And remember, nature does not have bad weather if you know about it in advance.