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The thickest snow cover in the entire history of meteorological observations in Lithuania was 94 cm, recorded in 1931. In Laukuva.
The LHMT provides a somewhat broader description of the thickest snow cover measured at 18 weather stations from 1961 to now. The map shows the maximum thickness of the recorded snow cover and the date it was recorded.
Information from the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service / Snowy peaks in Lithuania
The thickest snow cover since 1961. so far has been recorded in Lithuania In Nida, 1980 March 14 was 82 cm thick.
The LHMT report states that the 2010/2011 in winter, when the maximum thickness of the snow cover was much greater than this winter, 2020/2021.
2011 In January, in almost all weather stations, the thickest measured snow cover exceeded 40 cm, and in Telšiai it was even 68 cm thick.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15 minute photo / Forest after the snow
1995/1996 was also characterized by abundant snow and a thick layer of snow. winter. Then the thickness of the snow cover measured at Laukuva reached 72 cm.
Now the thickness of the accumulated snow cover is not a record in any weather station. It should also be noted that currently in western Lithuania the thickness of the snow cover is very small or there is almost no snow. For comparison with the records from 1961, we present January 29, 2021. Snow cover thickness measured in the morning in Lithuania.
What is the largest increase in snow cover in Lithuania?
The maximum thickness of the snow cover does not always reflect the extreme nature 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. Let’s look at the maximum increase in snow cover for 1, 2 and 3 days since 1961.
The greatest increase in the thickness of the snow cover in 1 day corresponds to Kaunas (42 cm 2009-01-04) and Nida (39 cm 2008-11-25). Interestingly, these two records were recorded during the same cold season.
In Dotnuva, Telšiai and Lazdijai there is the largest increase of about 32 cm, and the smallest – in Dūkšte, Raseiniai, Utena, Ukmergė and Šiauliai (up to 19 cm).
Snow cover change in 2 days was also greater in Kaunas (44 cm on January 4, 2009) and Nida (42 cm in 2 days on January 31, 1988 and December 22, 2001). In Šilutė, Telšiai and Varėna – more than 30 cm, and in Šiauliai – only 19 cm.
In three days, the snow cover has grown more in Nida, even by half a meter (December 23, 2001), and in Kaunas by 44 cm (2009-01-04), in Kybartai, Laukuva, Šilutė and Telšiai, and in Varėna by about 32 cm, and the minimum in Utena (21 cm).
Were there records of snowfall growth this year?
The layer of snow that formed in the second half of January of this year, although it may not seem like it, was not a record.
Evaluation of the maximum change in snow cover during 1, 2 and 3 days only in Ukmergė and Vilnius were the records of these weather stations established.
In these stations, the increase in snow cover in 2 days (48 h) is 23 and 24 cm, respectively, when on January 25. In the morning in Ukmergė, the snow thickness was set at 2 cm, and in Vilnius at 7 cm, and on the morning of January 27, it was 25 and 31 cm, respectively.
Before that, the record was set in Ukmergė in 1961 (21 cm in 2 days), and in Vilnius in 1980, 1999 and 2009 (23 cm in 2 days).
Records of individual stations were also repeated this year: in Vilnius (snow thickness increased by 26 cm in 3 days, last time was in 1999) and in Raseiniai (15 cm in 1 day, earlier in 2009).
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 off overhead power lines, block traffic on fallen roads, etc.
Although the thickness of the snow was not a record this year, a lot of damage was caused due to the wet snow cover.
This year, the southern and eastern districts suffered from snow cover, and in 2007, in November and December, Samogitia “suffered” twice.
What is the maximum mean thickness of the snow cover?
Climatic conditions in Lithuania determine that the maximum mean 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 most low in the southwestern part of the country, on the coast and on the lee slopes).
LHMT notes that due to winds formed by the wind and environmental factors (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.
Therefore, the thickness of the snow cover should not be considered as the snow measured in the hemispheres, but that formed when it falls in an open space.
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