Climatic conditions over the territory of Russia.

The year 2002 was rich in weather anomalies in different regions of Russia.

The diversity of natural conditions and the availability of several climatic zones over the Russian territory account for a considerable space inhomogeneity of climatic conditions in Russia and a pronounced regional character of climatic processes. Weather conditions in 2002 were analyzed for the whole of the Russian territory and for seven quasi-homogeneous climatic zones (I is the north of European Russia and Western Siberia, II is the north of Eastern Siberia and Yakutia, III is the Chukot Peninsula and Kamchatka, IV is the center and the south of European Russia, V is the center and the south of Western Siberia, VI is the center and the south of Eastern Siberia, VII is the Far East) (Fig. 2).

In early 2002 (January, February), most of the Russian territory experienced large positive air temperature anomalies (Fig. 1). January was extremely warm in south regions of Siberia, where mean monthly air temperatures were over 10^oC higher than mean long-term values. In February, mean monthly air temperatures reached record values in the center and the south of Eastern Siberia ( zone VI ) and in the Far East ( zone VII ). It is only the east of the country and the continental areas of the Magadan Region that experienced abnormally cold February . During the first five days of the month, the temperature -55 to –61^o C persisted, which is only slightly higher than the absolute temperature minimum for February.

Very much precipitation ( two to three monthly normals ) was recorded in February against the background of positive temperature anomalies over most of the European territory and Siberia. Heavy snow in the mountains of Northern Caucasia (zone IV) throughout February promoted the avalanche threat causing spontaneous avalanches. The passage of active atmospheric fronts connected with cyclones produced storm winds, blizzards, adhesion of wet snow and other glaze phenomena.

It was very warm in March. For the Russian territory as a whole, only the March of 1990 was still warmer and the mean air temperature for the European territory in Mach 2002 was highest in the past 70 years.

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In European Russia, late spring ( May ) was 2 to 4^o C colder than usually. Freezes of different intensity were recorded everywhere throughout the month. Particularly hard freezes were recorded on 15 and 21 to 23 May on the Central Volga (zone IV): to –7^o C in the air and to –9^o C on the soil. For most of the Asian territory, May was warm, with the mean monthly air temperature being 2 to 4^o C above the normal; however, freezes were also recorded in farming regions until late May.

Strong winds to 26 m/s were frequently recorded in the Khakasia Republic, Krasnoyarsk Territory, and in the south of Western Siberiaa. On 29 May, the settlement of Kamenovka (the Kemerovo Region, zone V) was attacked by tornado whose diameter was 500 m and wind speed attained 40 m/s.

Due to precipitation deficit in individual regions of European Russian, the Irkutsk and Chita Regions (zone VI) experienced extreme fire danger and drought in May and June.

From 20 to 23 June, the North Caucasian region experienced heavy rains that caused severe floods almost in all rivers of the Kuban’ and Terek basin and gave rise to mud flows in mountain regions (zone IV). The disaster caused damage to the region’s economy and led to people’s death.

In July and August, a substantial precipitation deficit was recorded in European Russia, which led to soil and air droughts in most regions of the territory and contributed to fire danger (Fig. 3). Forest and peat-bog fires contributed to the air smog increase; smog was observed over Moscow and Nizhni Novgorod. In the individual regions, droughts were accompanied by dry winds.

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The Krasnodar Territory and most of the Stavropol Territory (zone IV) on the contrary, received very much precipitation (about two monthly normals ). During 5 to 8 August prolonged hot weather, water heating, and a sharp change in air masses created conditions for the formation of tornadoes, heavy thunderstorms and showers on the Black Sea coast. In the south of Sakhalin, heavy rains caused rainfall floods in rivers. High floods were also caused by heavy rains in rivers of the southern Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region (zone VII).

Following prolonged summer drought, in the central regions of European Russia, precipitation in September and October was two to three times as high as the long-term mean for these months. On 20 September, a rare natural phenomenon, Kolka glacier slide, occurred in the Republic of Northern Osetia-Alania (zone IV). A mud-glacial-stone flow covered the Karmadon canyon.

In September – October, frequent precipitation was also recorded in the Far East region.

In September-October, no significant temperature anomalies were recorded.

The end of 2002 was characterized by severe frosts over most of the Russian territory (Fig. 4). In the country as a whole, the mean monthly air temperature was still lower only in 1941 and 1978. In the center and the south of Europian Russia (zone IV), the mean monthly air temperature in December proved to be lowest for the past 70 years. In Eastern Siberia, too, the anomalies of mean monthly temperature reached –6…-7^o C. It was the Chukot Autonomous Area alone (zone III), where a focus of positive temperature anomalies formed.