Abnormally Warm March with Precipitation Deficit
In the first decade of March, there was an unusually prolonged, very warm and abnormally sunny period for this time of year, with a significant deficit of precipitation. The temperature background was characteristic of April values. The average air temperature for the decade was 4.0-5.6° above normal and was 5.6-7.4° in the lowlands. The maximum air temperature exceeded absolute values for the decade, reaching 20-21° in the region. The minimum air temperature in the lowlands dropped to 1-4° below zero, while in Pre-Carpathians and the Carpathians it was 5-7° below zero.
Precipitation and Condition of Wintering Crops
Precipitation was observed only at the beginning of the decade and its total amounted mostly to only 3-5 mm, or 13-38% of the decade norm. Wintering crops gradually awakened from shallow winter dormancy. On February 10, in places, especially on southern slopes of the relief, vegetation resumed. Sprouting results conducted by meteorological stations on February 25 showed no damage to plants in samples of winter wheat and rye. It is worth noting that in the absence of snow on the fields and lowering of ground temperature at the depth of tillering node to 10° below zero in February, slight (up to 5%) freezing of poorly developed crops from autumn could have occurred in some places.