Unsettled
albeit cooler conditions continued over much of the region, though warm weather
lingered in southern- and eastern-most crop districts.
A
stationary frontal boundary draped across the region separated chilly
conditions (up to 3°C below normal) over northern and western growing areas
from above-normal temperatures in southern and eastern wheat districts.
While the
cold conditions over Belarus, northern Ukraine, and Russia’s Southern District slowed
winter crop development, nighttime lows (-3 to 0°C) were above the threshold
for crop damage.
A storm system
tracked northward along the front, producing widespread showers (5-35 mm) across
most major growing areas.
The
rainfall was beneficial for vegetative winter crops — particularly in central
and eastern Ukraine — but continued to temper the previously rapid planting
pace of spring wheat and summer crops.
South and
east of the front, above-normal temperatures (up to 3°C above normal)
accelerated winter and spring grain development in southern Russia as well as
southeastern portions of the Volga District.