Forecasters at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center describe the next three days as unsettled, rainy weather. But the temperature difference is more interesting than the rain. On Sunday, October 11, it is still 18–25° above zero during the day. On Monday and Tuesday, across most of the country except the south and east, it will be only 10–17°. That is a drop of about eight degrees in a day, and the change will feel stronger than the number suggests.
What causes the drop
The wind is forecast to shift from south to northwest, with a speed of 5–12 m/s. Such a change of direction is usually associated with the arrival of cooler air. Precipitation adds to it. On October 11, moderate rain is forecast in most western regions. On October 12, heavy rain is possible in places in Bukovyna and the Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions. No precipitation is promised in the east. In the west it is also expected to stop on October 12–13, but that is precisely when frosts will set in.
Night frosts in the west
On the nights of October 12 and 13, air temperatures in the west of the country will fall to 1–6° above zero. At ground level, forecasters expect frosts of 0 to −3°. For a city resident this is almost unnoticeable. For a plot owner the difference is crucial: the air at a height of two meters is still above zero, while leaves on the ground may already freeze.
In practical terms, this means the following:
- Vegetable garden and dacha. Whatever is still in the ground and fears the cold (late tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, greens in open ground) is best harvested or covered in the western regions by the evening of October 11.
- Drivers. It is generally accepted that summer tires lose grip when the stable temperature drops below +7°. At night in the west it will be almost that cold. If you have been putting off changing tires, wet asphalt and cold mornings are a reason not to delay.
- Clothing. The range of night temperatures of 6–14° across the country as a whole and 18–25° during the day on Sunday contrasts sharply with the following days. So on Monday morning you will need a warmer jacket than over the weekend.
What the forecast doesn't say
Three days is a short span. The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center does not say whether the cold will settle in or the warmth will return. Ground frosts in mid-October are a normal occurrence for the west, so this is not yet the start of winter. Still, the drop from +25° to +10° shows that summer mode is over. Whether you manage to change your car's tires and clear from your plot what dislikes the cold before the next night is a question for today, not for the end of the month.
