While far-western Russia has been enjoying unusual “warmth” of late, central and eastern regions – so the majority of the transcontinental nation – have not been so fortunate.
On October 30, “very cold weather was established” in north Siberia, reports hmn.ru. Unusually chilly lows of -20C (-4F) were suffered in Salekhard which resulted in hard frosts. Even during the day, highs in the region only climbed to -12C (10.4F) — readings that are some 16C below the seasonal average.
“The temperature was even lower in the east of Siberia,” continues the hmn.ru article. And after a belated start to fall, it appears the season has now been skipped altogether. In Norilsk, for example, thermometers approached bone-chilling lows of -30C (-22F) — numbers not out of place in the depths of winter.
In addition to the cold, approximately 80% of the transcontinental nation is buried under early season snow — a feat rarely achieved this early in the season (Oct 29) since records began in 1998, and one particularly impressive given the far-west’s lingering warm setup (a phenomenon driven by the positioning of the jet stream, not a trace gas in the atmosphere).
This impressive cover has contributed to the Northern Hemisphere, as a whole, experiencing a record-breaking snowy start to the season.
In addition, multiple datasets reveal the Northern Hemisphere, as a whole, is also experiencing a record-early snowpack, increasing the trend observed in recent years.
