Mostly dry, mild weather promoted fieldwork and winter crop
development.
A large area of high pressure provided sunny skies along
with above-normal temperatures (3-7°C above normal) from Belarus and Ukraine
into central and northern Russia.
The sunny, warm weather melted the remaining snow cover in
all but the coldest eastern locales (picture, right, was taken by me on Sunday
just south of Moscow thus illustrating the need for reliable information), reduced winter crop cold hardiness, and accelerated
small grain planting.
Farther south, light to moderate rain (1-15 mm) in
southern-most portions of Ukraine and Russia kept top soils moist for
vegetative winter wheat, though cloudy skies slowed the unseasonably early crop
development somewhat.