MAIN WEATHER AND CLIMATE TRAITS IN THE NORTHEN HEMISPHERE AS OF JANUARY 2020
Air Temperature
Throughout January, abnormal warmth persisted in most of Russia. The only exception was the Far North-East where the weather was noticeably colder than normal in the first decade. Yet later on, the warmth triumphed over the cold even there. In January, unprecedented maxima of air temperature were recorded all over the paths from the western border to Chukotka and from the coasts of northern seas to the Caspian Sea. In some places, these maxima persevered for several days in succession. January temperature standards were overridden by 4-12° or more everywhere save the north-east of the country where they were met to some extent. As a result, January 2020 became the second warmest in the meteorological chronicle of Russia: its average temperature was surpassed only once, by about half a degree in January 2007. The temperature background in January on the Russian Plain was the most high-pitched in history. In the Central Federal District, the average temperature of January 2020 reached the absolute maximum and exceeded the previous record-breaking value of 2007 by almost one and a half degree: there, the monthly-averaged temperature of January was positive for the second time in the history of meteorological observations. In this district, the "crown of winter" turned out to be warmer than its predecessor, December, and just 0.4° colder than November. This January was the second warmest in history in the north-east of the country, in the Volga Region and in Siberia, and entered the Top Ten of warmest ones in the south and in the Urals.
The weather was mostly warm in East Asia. The average January temperatures in Mongolia, in the north of China, in Korea and in Japan were 2-4° above the normal values. The anomalies were approximately the same in the countries of South-East Asia as well.
MAIN WEATHER AND CLIMATE TRAITS IN THE NORTHEN HEMISPHERE AS OF DECEMBER 2019
Air Temperature
All through December, abnormal warmth prevailed in the European territory of Russia. The average air temperatures in any decade exceeded the normal values by 3-7° or more. The unprecedented temperature maxima were recorded everywhere from the Barents Sea to the North Caucasus and Crimea, and ultimately, the monthly-averaged air temperatures from the western border to West Siberia turned out to be much higher than usual, e.g., by 8° and more in the Arkhangelsk Region. In the Central Federal District, this December became the second warmest in the history of meteorological observations: the weather was even warmer in 2006 only. Likewise, this month entered the Top Ten of warmest in the North-West, Volga and South Federal Districts.
East of the Urals, the weather was also warmer than usual, albeit that in the first half of the month only. In the first decade and at the beginning of the second one, the daily temperature maxima were recorded in Western Siberia. But later on, the eastern regions of the country were overwhelmed by bitter Arctic colds. Frosts down to -52° were observed in Yakutia, and down to -45° in the Irkutsk Region and in the Trans-Baikal. In South Siberia, new temperature minima were reached in the Kemerovo Region. The entire territory of Siberia and of the Far East was under the spell of cold. The anomalies of decade-averaged temperature were -2…-8° or larger, so that this December turned out to be generally colder than usual in the east of Siberia, in Yakutia, Trans-Baikal, Amur River Region and Primorye. Only the Far North-East of the country, notably, the Chukotka Autonomous District, succeeded in retaining the heat accumulated at the beginning of the month in spite of the cold in the third decade; there, the monthly-averaged air temperature was above its normal value.