Agrometeorology: Snow and cold are much needed in the fields

(Photo: Pixabay)

According to the analysis, the past few days have been characterized by gloomy, humid, foggy weather, a few drops of rain and drizzle occurred in many places, but no significant amount fell. On Tuesday, a Mediterranean cyclone approached the country from the southwest, as a result of which the wind picked up across the country, which swept away the foggy air, and precipitation fell in many places in the west. The 90-day precipitation amount is still significantly below average almost nationwide, only in the Northern Central Mountains did it rain more than usual at this time of year. On a national average, December will also be a dry month: in 2025, only the precipitation in March and November exceeded the average, so the annual precipitation is very low, and since 1970 it will be among the top three years with the lowest precipitation. According to current data, only 2010 and 2000 had less rain throughout the year. The part of the soil close to the surface is close to saturation, and in a significant part of the country the water supply of the middle soil layer is also satisfactory, but in the Great Plain the ground is still dry below the 20-30 centimeter level, and significant moisture has only reached the soil layer deeper than half a meter in the northern and western parts of the country. Over the past week, the temperature has exceeded the average by 2 degrees Celsius in the southwest, and by 6-7 degrees Celsius in the east and northeast. Large-scale frost only developed last Wednesday and Thursday, but even then, temperatures below minus 5 degrees were not typical, and nights have been frost-free since then.

Rapeseed and winter cereals find sufficient moisture in the soil

At the same time, an increasing problem in terms of the future is that the deeper soil layers in the Great Plain remain dry. Further heavy precipitation, primarily snow, would be needed here, but there is no prospect of this for now.

According to the forecast, the weather will turn sunnier in the coming days

On Wednesday and Thursday, mixed precipitation is expected in a larger area in the south and southwest, with up to 10-20 millimeters falling in the southwest, while none is expected in the northeast. The air vortex causing precipitation will move away from our region on Thursday and the direction of the flow above us will permanently turn north, which will bring several waves of cold, but mostly dry air waves over the Carpathian Basin in the last days of the year. From Thursday, the sun will shine over an increasingly large area, and precipitation will occur at most in the index, so the recharge of the soil in the Great Plain will continue to wait. The temperature will drop, frosts are expected at night, but during the day the mercury will rise slightly above freezing.

MTI