In the first half of January, the temperature in Moscow exceeded the norm by 5 degrees, with an average temperature of -0.9 degrees. This is the warmest January in years, according to meteorologists. Tatyana Pozdnyakova, a specialist from the weather agency "Meteonovosti," stated that out of the 15 days in the month, eight experienced mild weather during the day, and six had a positive average temperature.
This has led to a significant decrease in snow cover. By the morning of January 16th, only four centimeters remained in VDNH, a popular exhibition center in Moscow, according to Pozdnyakova. She also mentioned that the city has received 30.6 millimeters of precipitation since the beginning of January, which is 59% of the norm. The warmest day was January 8th, with a maximum temperature of 4.6 degrees, and the coldest night was January 14th, with a temperature of -7.2 degrees.
Pozdnyakova compared this January's weather to similar patterns in 2005, 2007, 2014, and 2020. In 2007, the average temperature was -1.7 degrees, and in 2020, it was 0.1 degrees. She mentioned that the noticeable increase in temperatures is happening at a faster rate in the northwestern part of the Russian Arctic compared to the rest of the planet. This is due to higher humidity and warmer air in the region, resulting in increased heat energy in the lower layer of the atmosphere.
