BELHYDROMET

Long-term meteorological observations allow us to form a fairly accurate picture of the climatic features of the year's first day. In Minsk, for example, over the entire observation period (since 1892), the average daily air temperature on January 1st is -5.7°C.

It is interesting to note that about once every 7 years the average daily air temperature rises to 0°C and above. However, in the last decade, positive air temperatures in Minsk have been observed almost annually, indicating a trend towards milder winters. On the other hand, about once every 5 years, the average daily air temperature drops below -10°C, and once every 20 years – below -20°C.

The temperature records are also impressive. The warmest day on January 1 with a maximum air temperature of +9.8°C was recorded in 2023, and the coldest in 1905, when the daytime air temperature dropped to -24.8°C.

The coldest New Year's night, with a minimum air temperature of -29.8°C, was recorded in 1941. The warmest night was on January 1, 2023, when at the stroke of midnight the air temperature was +4.9°C, rising to +6.5°C by 6 AM.

As for precipitation, the snowiest January 1 was in 1893, when 14.7 mm of precipitation fell per day, and the snow cover reached 36 cm. And the largest amount of precipitation fell on January 1, 2021 (20.1 mm), but due to the positive air temperature, precipitation fell in the form of sleet and rain.

Statistics show that about once every 4 years in Minsk on New Year's Eve there is a snow cover with a height of more than 15 cm. However, such a height has not been observed since 2012.

In the last 50 years, the new year without snow was celebrated in Minsk in 1975, 1976, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2018, 2024, 2025 years when there was no snow cover at all.

Climate records in Belarus.

The coldest New Year's Eve in the republic for the entire period of instrumental observations was in 1979 at the Yezerishche station, then the thermometers showed 32.1degrees Celsius. The warmest night was in 2023, when at midnight in Brest the air temperature was +11.5°С, and by 6 a.m. on January 1 in Grodno it was +13.2°С.

The maximum snow height on January 1 was observed in 2011 at Verkhnedvinsk station and amounted to 44 cm. Now, more and more often, we celebrate the New Year without snow. This happens about once every 4-5 years in the central part, in the north once every 8 years, and in the extreme southwest of our country, every second New Year is snowless.

The weather forecast for January 1, 2026

According to preliminary data, on January 1, 2026 (Thursday), there will be light snow in places across the republic at night. Snow mainly in the western half of the day, with a light snowstorm. There is ice on some sections of roads. The minimum air temperature at night is -10 -16°C, with clearings up to -20°C, the maximum during the day is from -12°C in the east to +1°C in the southwest.

In conclusion, we would like to wish all readers a good mood during the New Year holidays, safe and pleasant winter holidays, no matter what weather January 1, 2026 presents us with!