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A mix of rain and snow (10-45 mm liquid equivalent) hampered
spring wheat harvesting in northern Kazakhstan, as well as the Urals and
Siberia Districts in Russia.
Early- to mid-week showers slowed fieldwork throughout the
region.
At the end of the week, however, cold air accompanied another
surge of moisture, causing the rain to change to snow in Russia and extreme northern
Kazakhstan.
Accumulating snow was likely in these areas, halting spring
wheat harvesting.
Temperatures averaged about 2 to 6°C below normal in Russia
and extreme northern Kazakhstan.
Farther south, dry weather returned to Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and eastern Uzbekistan, allowing cotton harvesting to accelerate in
the wake of recent rain.