The winter trends in air temperature and atmospheric precipitation in the Moldova Region (Romania)

Abstract

The study is a comparative analysis of the characteristics of air temperature and atmospheric precipitations in winter seasons from the WMO reference periods (1961 - 1990, 1981 – 2010) compared with last 7 years (2010 – 2016). There is a continuous increase of air temperature in winter, from −2,0°C between 1961-1990, to −1,1°C between 2010-2016, so a heating of 0,9°C. In the last 7 years (2010-2016) the average number of frosty nights (nights with minimum temperature of ≤ −10°C) was reduced by 18% compared to the period 1961-1990 and by 3% compared to the period 1981-2010. In the same period (2010 – 2016), the rainfall were higher in winter, respectively by 17% than during 1961-1990 and by 22% than during 1981-2010. There is an increase of torrential character of precipitation, more pronounced in the southern region of Moldova.

Keywords

• temperature
• precipitation
• winter
• Moldova
• trends