During December, near to above normal temperatures and
precipitation prevailed across much of the region.
Despite the somewhat warmer than normal conditions, Kazakhstan
and Russia remained encased in a moderate to deep snowpack; agricultural
activity in the spring wheat belt is minimal during the winter due to the extreme
cold and deep snow cover.
In the south, where the harvest of cotton and other summer
crops was completed during the autumn, agricultural activity was likewise
relatively minor.
However, winter wheat in eastern Uzbekistan benefited from
light to moderate rain and snow (10-30 mm liquid equivalent).