The Hydrometeorological Center admitted early spring in Moscow

Preliminarily, spring will come early in Moscow, because of the small amount of snow, the air will begin to warm up faster. This was stated by Roman Vilfand, scientific head of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center Roman Vilfand, during a press conference at the Izvestia IEC on January 16.

"There is one factor that allows us to say that indeed this year March will be warm and spring may come earlier. What is this factor? A small amount of snow. <...> The fact is that the maximum height of snow by climate is noted in the first days of March. Snow accumulates in December, January, February, and the maximum height - and the main thing is that not only the height, but also the density of snow is large. If snow exists, <...> solar energy is reflected, <...> a large amount of energy goes away," he explained.

Thus, the expert added, if there is little or no snow, the solar energy is mostly used to warm the air, not to melt snowdrifts.

In addition, Vilfand noted that no matter how much snow falls in the remaining month and a half of winter, it will still be less than normal against the background of the current weather. At the same time, despite the almost absence of snow, January and February may be cold, the most accurate forecasts can be made later.

Earlier, on January 14, Vilfand predicted a complete snowfall in some areas of Moscow. He specified that such weather is unusual for January. According to Wilfand, this is due to the fact that the central regions of the European part of Russia receive air masses from the southern Atlantic, northern Africa and the Mediterranean Sea.