USSR WEATHER AND CROP INFORMATION, 15-23 MARCH 1953

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700120159-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 159
• Publication Date: July 8, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
SECURITY INFORMATION
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
SUBJECT Geographic - Weather conditions
Economic - Crop conditions
REPORT
CD NO.
DATE OF
DATE DIST. Q Jul 1953
WHERE
PUBLISHED
Moscow
NO. OF PAGES 4
DATE
PUBLISHED
17 - 24 Mar 1953
LANGUAGE
Russian
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Underlined dates refer to days of publication; all tempera-
tures are given in degrees centigrad
17 March
On 15 and 16 March, slightly cloudy weather without precipitation prevailed
in the western half of the European USSR. A considerable rise in temperature
was recorded in all the European USSR, except the Crimea and the Northern
Caucasus. The rise in temperature was especially large in the northwestern
region, where daytime temperatures rose as high as those In the southern Ukraine.
Noon temperatures were 5 degrees above zero in Petrozavodsk and Odeasa, 3 in
IeningradI Minsk, and Kishinev, 2 in Gor'kiy, Kiev, and Lvov, one degree in
Dnepropetrovsk, zero in Vologda, Moscow, Orel, and Chkalov, 3 degrees below zero
in Saratov, 4 below in Stalingrad, Kuybyshev, Kazan', and Ufa, and 5 below in
Kirov.
Cold weather prevailed in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Precipitation in
the form of rain and locally in the form of wet snot. fell on the Black Sea
coast of the Caucasus. It was dry and comparatively warm in the Azerbaydzhan SSR.
The very warm weather which has prevailed in the western portion of the Euro-
pean USSR has speeded up the melting of snow. Temperatures rose considerably
in Western Siberia. On 16 March, daytime temperatures were 2 degrees below
zero in Omsk and Novosibirsk, and 2 degrees above zero in Krasnoyarsk.
Snowfalls were recorded in the steppe regions of Western Siberia and the
Kazakh SSR.
Rains fell in the mountain regions of Central Asia. Dry weather with day-
time temperatures ranging between 5 and 10 degrees above zero prevailed in the
rest of Central Asia. Under favorable conditions, the spring harrowing of crops
and presowing irrigation were carried out in the Tukmen SSR.
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On 17 March, slightly cloudy weather with slightly below zero temperatures
during the night and considerable thaws during the day prevailed in most of the
European USSR, except the southern regions. It was especially warm in the
western and central regions. Noon temperatures were 5 degrees above zero in
Petrozavodsk and Moscow, 4 in Riga, 3 in Vologda and Ark2:sngal'sk, 2 in Lenin-
grad, Gor'kiy, and Lvov, and one degree in Kishinev, Orel, and Minsk.
Cold weather prevailed in the Ukraine, the Crimea, and the Northern
Caucasus,, Snowfalls were recorded locally. The depth of the snow cover
reached 10 centimeters in Rostov on the Don. Noon temperatures were one degree
above zero in Odessa and Kiev, zero in Simferopol' and Dnepropetrovsk, and one
degree below zero in Voroshilovgrad and Rostov on the Don.
Moderately warm, dry weather favorable for field work and the sowing of
spring crops prevailed in most of Central Asia.
Strongwinds and snowstorms were recorded in the Kazkh SSR and Western
Siberia. Rising temperatures, ranging between one and 3 degrees above zero
during the day, prevailed in Eastern Siberia,
Slightly cloudy, subzero weather prevailed in the Far East, where tempera-
tures dropped to 24-26 degrees below zero during the night, but rose to 2 to 4
degrees below during the day.
1 March
.a 18 March, slightly cloudy weather with an average daily temperature
5-6 uegrees higher than the average for a period of several years prevailed in
the central region of the European USSR. Precipitation stopped in the Crimea,
the southern Ukraine, and the Caucasus, but temperatures remained 4 to 5 deg:ees
below normal. A slight rise in temperature was recorded only in the western
Ukraine and along the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. During the night of
18 March, no subzero temperatures were recorded.
A slight drop in temperatures accompanied by snowfalls was recorded in the
western andnurthern regions of the European USSR, Overcast weather with snow-
falls and slightly below zero temperatures prevailed in the Urals. Noon tempera-
tures were 10 degrees below zero in Sverdlo,'ek and Ufa, 8 below in Chkalov, 5 below
in Stalingrad, 4 below in Kuybyshev, 3 below in Saratov and Minsk, 2 below in
Rostov on the Don, one below in Voroshilovgrad and Voronezh, zero in Leningrad,
Vologda, Orel, Kursk, Dnepropetrovsk, and Simferopol', one degree above zero in
Kiev, 2 in Kishinev, Gor'kiy, and Kazan', 4 in Riga and Tbilisi, 5 in Krasnodar
and Odessa, and 6 in Moscow.
On 17 March, a continuous snow cover prevailed in all the territory north
of a line running from Riga to Vil'nyus, Zhitomir, Kirovograd, Dnepropetrovsk,
Rostov on the Don, and Astrakhan'.
In the Kazakh SSR, the southern boundary of the snow cove: ran from Gur'-
yev, to Karaganda, and Ust'-Kamenogorsk.
On 18 March, it became considerably colder and snow fell in Western Siberia
and the northern Kazakh SSR. Noon temperatures were 27 degrees below zero in
Tobol'sk, 15 below in Omsk, and 14 bel? a in Aktyubinsk.
Temperatures dropped considerably in Central Asia. The noon temperature
in Stalinabad was 3 degrees above zero,
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20 March
On 19 March, rising temperatures increased and spread from the Moldavian SSR
to the central regions of the Ukraine. Noon temperatures were 7 degrees above
zero in L'vov, 6 above in Kishinev and Odessa, 5 in Simferopol', and 3 in Kiev.
Warm, dry weather with daytime temperatures of about zero to 2 degrees above
zero prevailed in the western and central regions of the European USSR. Considera-
bly warmer weather accompanied by snowfalls prevailed in the Urals. Daytime
temperatures were one degree oelow zero in Ufa and 2 degrees below in Sverdlovsk.
Dry but cold weather prevailed in the Transcaucasus. Daytime temperatures
were 3 degrees above zero in Yerevan and 5 above in Tbilisi. During the night,
temperatures dropped to zero in many areas of the Transcaucasus. The drop in
temperatures has retarded the -.~:velopment of agricultural crops in the Caucasus.
Temperatures dropped considerably in the southern Kazakh and Uzbek SSRs.
Ncon temperatures were 5 degrees below zero in Dzhambul and one degree above
zero in Tash,.ent. Warm, dry weather favorable for sowing prevailed in the
Tadzhik and Turkmen SSRs. The temperature of the soil at a depth of 10 centi-
meters rose to 10 degrees above zero in the southern Turkmen SSR, Almond, apri-
cot, and peach trees are blossoming in Voroshilovabad. Apple trees are blossoming
and alfal a has resumed growth in Bukhara.
Cloudy weather with moderate subzero temperatures and snowfalls prevailed
locally in most of Western Siberia,
22 March
On 20 and 21 March, slightly. cloudy, warm weather with considerable varia-
tions in temperature auring a period of 24 hours prevailed in most of the Euro-
pean USSR, except the northern regions and the Urals. It was cold in the
southern regions. Rains fell in the Crimea, the Northe^n c, ucasus, and along
the Black Sea coast of the Transcaucasus and snow fell in Stavropol'skiy Kray.
It was dry, but very cold in the Ukraine.
On 21 March, daytime temperatures in the northwestern and central regions
were the same as those in the southern regions and locally even higher. Noon
temperatures were 5 degrees above zero in Riga, 4 in Leningrad, Krasnodar,
and Nal'chik, 3 in Moscow and Odessa, 2 in Lvov and Arkhangelsk, one degree
in Petrozavodsk, Vologda, and Gor'kiy, zero in Syktyvkar and Kishinev, and
one degree below zero in Dnepropetrovsk, Orel, Sverdlovsk, and Kirov. Daytime
temperatures were 2 degrees below zero in Kazan', Tambov, Kiev, Rostov on the
Don, and Simferopol', 3 below in Voroshilovgrad, 5 below in Stalingrad and
Saratov, and 6 below in Voronezh.
Because of the cold weather that has prevailed in the south, there has
been little change in the southern boundary of the snow cover. The soil has
dried in the Lvov, Odessa, Kherson, and Krasnodar areas. The sowing of
spring crops has begun in the Moldavian SSR. Under favorable weather conditions,
spring crops are entering the bushing stage and winter crops the tube stage in
the Azerbaydzhan SSR,
Very warm weather favorable for the sowing of cotton prevailed in the
Turkmen SSR and southern Uzbek SSR. The temperature of the upper layer of
the soil has reached 14 degrees above zero in Iolotan'. It was cold in the
southern Kazakh SSR and the northern portion of Central Asia. Rains fell in
the foothill areas.
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 Cold weather with snowfalls and strong winds prevailed in the northern
half of the Kazakh SSR and in Western Siberia.
24 March
On 23, March, clear weather with daytime temperatures somewhat above
zero prevailed in the western half of the European USSR.
Mostly overcast weather prevailed in the eastern regions, with subzero tempera-
tures during the night and during the day. Daytime temperatures were 2-3 degrees
tbove zero in Vologda, Moscow, Orel, and Dnepropetrovsk, 6 above in Riga and
Kiev, and 8 above in Odessa, Kishinev, and Lvov. Temperatures were zero in
Krasnodar, 3 below in Stalingrad, 5 below in Kazan', 7 below in Kirov, and
8 below in Syktyvkar.
Snow fell in the Urals and in Tambovskaya, Voronezhskaya, Voroshilovgrad-
skaya, Rostovskaya, and Stalingradskaya oblasts. Snow is thawing in the central
and western regions. A considerable portion of the fields are already free from
snow. Snow has completely disappeared from the western regions of the Baltic
republics, the southwestern portion of the Belorussian SSR, and the Ukraine
west of the Dnepr. The soil was ready for cultivation in some of the western
regions of the Ukraine.
Slightly below zero temperatures which during the day were about 5 below
prevailed in Western Siberia. The fields everywhere were covered with snow.
Rising temperatures accompanied by increasing cloudiness and rain pre-
vailed in Central Asia Temperatures during the night and during the day were
about uniform - about, _O degrees above zero. The germination of cotton seeds
it ,arly plantings has been somewhat delayed.
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