January 05, 2025

Global Warming Changing Russian Winters


Global Warming Changing Russian Winters
Red Square in winter, Moscow. Vyacheslav Argenberg, Wikimedia Commons.

Climate change is altering the nature of Russian winters, according to a recent analysis by the Yesli Byt Tochnym ("To Be Precise") project.

The study examined changes in snowfall over the last 15 years and concluded that winters across Russia have shifted, most notably in southern regions. Snow now arrives one to two weeks later, and the number of days with at least a centimeter of snow cover has dropped by 20 to 30 percent. In Siberia and the Far East, however, snowfall and snowdrift height are on the rise.

Experts say these variations stem from global climate change. Rising average annual temperatures mean winter cold sets in later, and summer and autumn seasons last longer. As a result, the first snowfalls in most Russian cities now come later than they did 15 years ago. Of 31 cities studied, 22 saw the first snow arrive later in 2020 than it did in 1981. In Stavropol, snow now falls 14 days later than it did on average from 1981 to 2010, and in Makhachkala, it arrives 13 days later.

Snow is not only coming later; it is also falling less frequently. The total number of days per year with more than one centimeter of snow cover dropped in all major cities except Tyumen, Omsk, and Krasnoyarsk. Once again, the change is most pronounced in the South: Krasnodar saw a 37 percent decrease in snowy days, Rostov-on-Don 28 percent, and Makhachkala 22 percent.

Lower snowfall levels can be attributed to declining precipitation in Southern Russia, where any snow that does fall often melts or subsides quickly. In other parts of the European portion of the country, winters with little snow are becoming more common. In St. Petersburg, for example, an average of 18 centimeters fell between 1981 and 2010, but from 2011 to 2023, there were six winters with only a third or half of that amount.

Conditions in Siberia tell a different story. Snowfall there has increased or stayed the same in recent years. Since 2011, Krasnoyarsk has seen more snow than its average 18 centimeters nearly every winter except one, while Irkutsk and Novosibirsk have maintained historic norms.

“Almost everywhere in Russia, except in the south of the European part, precipitation is rising,” said climatologist Daria Gushchina. “And since precipitation is increasing, the maximum height of the snow cover is also going up.”

She added that as average temperatures climb, the atmosphere holds more water vapor, which leads to increased precipitation — often in extreme events. At the same time, the average number of snowy days in Russia will continue to decrease, said Darya Gushchina.

You Might Also Like

White Nights Resurges
  • December 23, 2024

White Nights Resurges

One hundred and sixty-seven years on, a Dostoyevsky novella is seeing a resurgence in popularity. 
Cleaning up Kerch Strait Oil Spill
  • December 25, 2024

Cleaning up Kerch Strait Oil Spill

A massive oil spill in the Kerch Strait has polluted miles of shoreline in Russia’s Krasnodar Oblast, killing birds and dolphins.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955