From -32°C to spring warmth: How Moldova’s winters are shifting
The State Hydrometeorological Service (SHS) has revealed staggering contrasts in Moldova’s climate archives for February, documenting a massive 55-degree Celsius gap between absolute records.
Historical data shows the nation’s absolute minimum reached -32.1°C in Bălți on February 20, 1954. Conversely, the mercury climbed to a record high of +23.3°C in Tiraspol on February 26, 1990.
While 1929 remains the coldest year on record, February 2024 has officially become the warmest in history. Average temperatures last year fluctuated between +5.3°C and +7.3°C, signaling a significant shift from historical norms.
Thermal volatility and extreme frost
Daily values often experience violent swings. Moldova has seen severe frosts reaching -26°C in 1954 and 2012, contrasted by recent spring-like episodes of up to +14°C in 2016 and 2024.
Although the country typically sees less than eight days of temperatures below -10°C, extreme years defy the average. In 1956, Briceni recorded 25 days of deep frost, including 11 days where temperatures plunged below -20°C.
Precipitation and rare phenomena
February precipitation mostly arrives as snow. While the average snow cover ranges from 3 to 11 cm, historical peaks have reached critical levels, such as the 71-centimeter depth recorded in Briceni in 1973.
Beyond temperature shifts, the month is defined by fog, white frost, and glazed ice, with the latter occurring approximately ten days per month.
Long-term analysis suggests that heavy snowfalls occur once every five years. Severe blizzards remain rare, appearing once a decade, while extreme cold snaps of -25°C occur only once every 30 to 60 years in the southern regions.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
