Cyclone from Moscow to the Urals: No Anomalies in Chelyabinsk

The snow cyclone that hit Moscow on January 27 continues to move eastward towards the Ural region.

Meteorologists expect the first precipitation in Chelyabinsk Oblast as early as Tuesday night, but no anomalous weather phenomena are anticipated.

According to the hydrometeorological center«s forecast, the epicenter of the bad weather will be closer to Yekaterinburg, and in the Southern Urals, it will only affect the northern and mountain-industrial districts.

Head of the weather forecasting department Yekaterina Vykhodtseva explained: «The atmospheric front is moving from west to east, crossing the Ural Mountains and only grazing Chelyabinsk in the mountainous areas. Precipitation will be mostly small and weak, locally up to moderate. The precipitation zone will cover more of Sverdlovsk Oblast than Chelyabinsk Oblast. We are somewhat protected due to the influence of the Siberian anticyclone on us; it will only pass tangentially over us.»

The temperature background in the coming days will remain relatively high:

• Tuesday night: in Chelyabinsk -17 to -19°C (1 to -2°F), during the day -6 to -8°C (21 to 18°F); across the oblast at night -14 to -19°C (7 to -2°F), with clearing down to -26°C (-15°F), during the day -6 to -11°C (21 to 12°F), in lowlands down to -15°C (5°F).
• Wednesday night: in the city -11 to -13°C (12 to 9°F), during the day -3 to -5°C (27 to 23°F); across the oblast at night -10 to -15°C (14 to 5°F), during the day -3 to -8°C (27 to 18°F).
• Thursday night: in Chelyabinsk -7 to -9°C (19 to 16°F), during the day -2 to -4°C (28 to 25°F); across the oblast -7 to -12°C (19 to 10°F), during the day -2 to -7°C (28 to 19°F).

By January 30, the end of the work week, the intensity of snowfall may increase. Yekaterina Vykhodtseva specified: «Preliminarily, by this time a new cyclone center will form on the territory of Bashkiria, and more intensive precipitation will be associated with it. Further, the center may shift to Chelyabinsk Oblast or move along Sverdlovsk Oblast. This will become clearer a bit later.»

The Chelyabinsk Hydrometeorological Center added that after the warm end of January and beginning of February, a new cold wave is likely in the second decade of February.

Recall that on January 27, about 9 millimeters of precipitation fell in Moscow and the region, causing difficulties on the roads and leading to delays of several flights to Chelyabinsk.