03.12.2020
Brief climatic characteristics and weather forecast for the territory of Belarus for December 2020
In December, the air temperature drops rapidly from the first decade to the third decade. In 26% of years, the coldest is the first decade, in 33% of years is the second decade, in 41% of years is the third decade.
December is the first month of winter. However, atmospheric processes, especially in the first half of the month, they still retain the features of the transitional season. Therefore, unstable weather with significant fluctuations in air temperature is often observed in December. Quite often, the first five days and even the first ten days of the month are very warm. During December, 13-20 days are usually marked with a thaw. Cold spells are most likely in the second half of December.
The monthly average air temperature in December (climatic norm) ranges from 1.3°C in the South-West to -4.7°C in the North-East of Belarus and, compared to November temperature, decreases by 4°C. In some years, it can significantly differ from the long-term average values. So, December 1960, 1971, 1974, 1982, 2000, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 were warmer than usual by 3-5°С. The warmest was December 2006 with an average air temperature in the Republic was +2.6°C, which is 5.9°C higher than the climatic norm. Cold weather (below the climatic norm by 3-6 ° С) was noted in December 1959, 1963, 1969, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2010. December 1978 was very cold (6.7°C below the climatic norm), when the average air temperature in the Republic was -10°C.
In December, the average night air temperature is within from -4°С to -7°С, daytime from - 2°С to +1°С. The absolute minimum (-38.6°С) was recorded at the Ezerische meteorological station in 1978, the absolute maximum air temperature in December (+14.5°С) was recorded in Brest in 1961.
The duration of sunshine per month is 24-33 hours.
On average, 35-58 mm of precipitation falls per month (climatic norm). The minimum monthly amount of precipitation is 2-17 mm, the maximum is 71-143 mm
(2-3 monthly norms). In some cases, 16-41 mm of precipitation may fall per day. The timing of the formation of stable snow cover, depending on the nature of the weather, varies greatly from year to year. Snow cover in most of the territory of Belarus is usually established in the first - second decades of December, in the extreme southern regions - in the third decade. Its height by the end of the month reaches an average of 4-10 cm. If warm weather prevails in December, then snow falls only in January.
December usually has 3 to 15 days with fog and ice, from 2 to 5 days with a blizzard and from 18 to 21 days with precipitation.
The average monthly air temperature is expected to be 1°C higher than the climatic norm (norm -1 -5°C).
The monthly amount of precipitation is assumed to be near the climatic norm, in some places less than it (norm 35-58 mm).
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