Meteorologists: the abundant snowfall in Lithuania is not a record



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According to meteorologists, the thickness of the accumulated snow cover is currently not a record in any weather station: in Varėna – 35 cm, Vilnius – 34 cm, Laukuva – 23 cm, Nida and Klaipėda – 5 cm each.

Meanwhile, the thickest snow cover in the entire history of meteorological observations in Lithuania was 94 cm, recorded in 1931 in Laukuva.

According to meteorologists, the snow cover formed in the second half of January of this year, although it would not appear, was not a record.

By assessing the maximum change in snow cover on one, two and three days a day, only in Ukmergė and Vilnius were the records of these weather stations set.

In these stations, the increase in snow cover in two days reaches 23 and 24 cm, respectively, when on Monday morning in Ukmerg it was set 2 cm, in Vilnius it was 7 cm thick and on Wednesday morning – 25 and 31 cm, respectively.

Before that, the record was set in Ukmergė in 1961 (21 cm in two days) and in Vilnius in 1980, 1999 and 2009 (23 cm in two days). Records of individual stations were also repeated this year: in three days, the thickness of the snow in Vilnius increased by 26 cm, before the last one in 1999, and in Raseiniai by 15 cm per day, before that in 2009.

According to meteorologists, the climatic conditions of Lithuania determine that the maximum average thickness of the snow cover in Lithuania is about 16 to 35 cm, the highest in the Samogitian highlands and the eastern part of the country (25 to 35 cm ), the lowest in the south western part of the country, on the coast and lee slopes of the Samogitian Highlands (20 cm).

Due to the winds formed by the wind and environmental factors such as terrain, trees, buildings containing snow, the thickness of the snow cover is not uniform. In the hemispheres, the thickness of the snow cover is much greater than in the surrounding open areas or that is measured in meteorological stations. It is observed that, therefore, the thickness of the snow cover should not be considered as the snow measured in the semicircles, but the one formed when it falls in an open space.

The thickest snow cover in the entire history of meteorological observations in Lithuania was 94 cm, recorded in 1931 at Laukuva. From 1961 to the present, the thickest snow cover was recorded in Nida, on March 14, 1980 82 cm of snow was measured.

In recent decades, meteorologists have pointed to the winter of 2010-2011, when the maximum thickness of the snow cover was much greater than this. In January 2011, in almost all weather stations, the thickest snow cover measured exceeded 40 cm, and in Telšiai it was even 68 cm thick.

Heavy snow and thick snow cover were also observed in 1995-1996. winter. Then the thickness of the snow cover measured at Laukuva reached 72 cm.

Meteorologists also point out that the maximum thickness of the snow cover does not always reflect the extremes of the snow or the snow itself.

If it snows slightly and the thickness of the snow cover, although large, grows slowly, the slightly increased snow cover is not surprising. However, if a lot of snow falls in one or several days, it can disrupt the normal rhythm of life and cause damage.

Wet snow clothing causes a lot of damage in winter: a layer of snow on various surfaces, trees, roofs. Roofs and trees cannot withstand a thick layer of snow. They turn to cut overhead power lines, block trees on roads, block traffic, etc.

Although the thickness of the snow was not a record this year, the wet snow cover caused a lot of damage: the southern and eastern districts suffered, and in 2007, twice, in November and December, snow caused damage in Samogitia.



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