Moscow Snowfall Heads to the Urals. Should Chelyabinsk Expect Anomalies?

The snow cyclone from Europe that blanketed Moscow on January 27 continues to move eastward—towards the Urals. It will bring the first snowfalls to the Chelyabinsk region tonight. However, no anomalies are expected. The center of the cyclone will shift closer to Yekaterinburg, and in the Southern Urals, it will only affect the mountainous and northern districts, according to the regional hydrometeorological center.

«The atmospheric front is moving from west to east, crossing the Ural Mountains and will only graze Chelyabinsk in the mountainous areas. Precipitation will be mostly light and weak, with some moderate snow in places,» said Ekaterina Vykhodtseva, head of the weather forecast department at the hydrometeorological center. «The precipitation zone will cover Sverdlovsk Oblast more than Chelyabinsk Oblast. Due to the influence of the Siberian anticyclone, we are somewhat protected; it will only pass by tangentially.»

At the same time, temperatures will be relatively high. On Tuesday night in Chelyabinsk, temperatures are forecast at -17… -19 °C (1.4… -2.2 °F), with Wednesday daytime highs of -6… -8 °C (21.2… 17.6 °F). Across the region, nighttime temperatures will be -14… -19 °C (6.8… -2.2 °F), dropping to -26 °C (-14.8 °F) during clear spells, and Wednesday daytime temperatures will be -6… -11 °C (21.2… 12.2 °F), reaching -15 °C (5 °F) in lowlands.

On Wednesday night in Chelyabinsk, temperatures are expected to be -11… -13 °C (12.2… 8.6 °F), with Thursday daytime highs of -3… -5 °C (26.6… 23 °F). Across the region, nighttime temperatures will be -10… -15 °C (14… 5 °F), warming to -3… -8 °C (26.6… 17.6 °F) during the day.

On Thursday night in Chelyabinsk, temperatures will be -7… -9 °C (19.4… 15.8 °F), with Friday daytime highs of -2… -4 °C (28.4… 24.8 °F). Across the region, nighttime temperatures will be -7… -12 °C (19.4… 10.4 °F), and daytime temperatures -2… -7 °C (28.4… 19.4 °F).

By the end of the work week, around January 30, the snowfalls may intensify.

«Preliminarily, by that time, a new center of the cyclone will form in Bashkiria, and it will be associated with more intense precipitation,» clarified Ekaterina Vykhodtseva. «Then the center may shift to Chelyabinsk Oblast or move across Sverdlovsk Oblast. This will become clearer a bit later.»

Incidentally, we shouldn«t completely forget about the frosts just yet. The end of January and beginning of February are expected to be quite warm, and then severe cold may return.

«The next cold wave, according to preliminary calculations, is expected in the second decade of February—after the 10th. But this is preliminary,» emphasized the Chelyabinsk hydrometeorological center.

Recall that on January 27, a heavy snowfall began in Moscow and the region. Overnight, according to forecasters, about 9 millimeters of precipitation fell. Drivers were warned of traffic jams, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations issued an emergency warning. Several flights to Chelyabinsk were delayed. Our colleagues from MSK1.RU are covering how the capital and the Moscow region are experiencing the heavy snowfall in an online broadcast.