November can bring blizzards and heavy snow to Moldova
Moldova can face heavy snowfall, blizzards and freezing rain in November, while historical records show temperatures ranging from severe frost to unusual warmth and snow cover reaching 78 centimetres.
Extreme temperature swings
Daily mean air temperatures in November can vary considerably, ranging from -10°C to -17°C at their lowest and from +16°C to +19°C at their highest. These extremes were recorded in 1892 and in 2010 and 2019, respectively.
November 1993 was the coldest on record across most of the country, with monthly average temperatures ranging from -1.8°C in Comrat and Cahul to -3.3°C in Briceni. By contrast, November 2010 was the warmest, with monthly averages ranging from +8.2°C in Briceni to +11.1°C in Cahul.
Rainfall and fog
Average monthly precipitation in November ranges from 26 to 45 millimetres. Some years have seen no rainfall throughout the entire month, while the highest monthly total on record was 214 millimetres, recorded in Cimișlia in 1922.
November typically brings 10 to 13 days with precipitation, three to nine days with fog, and one or two days with icy conditions. Most precipitation falls as rain.
Snowfall and winter conditions
Snowfall is generally recorded during the first half of November, but the snow tends to melt quickly. A more persistent snow cover usually forms in the northern half of the country towards the end of the month, with an average ten-day depth of no more than three centimetres.
However, much heavier snow accumulation is possible. On November 26, 1975, snow depth reached 78 centimetres at the meteorological observation site in Cahul, setting the historical record for the month.
How often do extreme weather events occur?
Among November’s most dangerous weather phenomena are heavy snowfall and strong winds, which occur, on average, once every seven to eight years.
Blizzards, ice glaze and rime deposits are considerably rarer, occurring approximately once every 20 years, according to the State Hydrometeorological Service.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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