Poland’s eastern regions face prolonged freezing temperatures as cold air from Eastern Europe brings sub-zero conditions lasting into next week.
Continued Cold in Eastern Poland
Poland will experience numerous cold nights ahead, with particularly severe frost in the eastern part of the country under the influence of a high-pressure system from Eastern Europe. The minimal cloud cover associated with this high will contribute to stronger heat escape into the upper atmosphere, resulting in significant temperature drops.
Frost below -10°C is expected to persist until next week. According to forecasts (specifically the ECMWF model), freezing nights will continue through next week. On Friday, temperatures in northern and northeastern Poland will drop to approximately -14/-17°C.
Temperatures in Northern Regions
On Saturday, this severe cold will mainly affect the northeasternmost regions where residents will see temperatures of around -10/-13°C on thermometers. On Monday, the minimum temperature in this region will be similar. On the Masurian Lakes, Warmia, Podlasie, and the northern part of Masovia, winter will definitely not let go.
The ECMWF model also suggests further drops below -20°C, though this is currently associated with significant error margin.
Thaw in Southern Poland
While harsh frost continues in the north and northeast, a thaw is ongoing and will persist in southern Poland. In the Carpathians (Beskids, Tatras, Bieszczady) on Sunday, daytime temperatures will rise to even 4-6°C. In southern voivodeships on that day, temperatures will predominantly be around 1-3°C above zero. A similar situation will occur on Monday.
Freezing Rain and Snow, Strong Winds in Mountains
The thaw in southern Poland will promote a dangerous phenomenon – freezing rain. While frost will persist at ground level, it will be slightly warmer (at 925 hPa, approx. 700m), causing snow to melt and turn into rain. This phenomenon may appear over Silesia and Lesser Poland on Friday and Saturday.
Snowfall will increase in Subcarpathia and Lublin Region. In some parts of eastern and southern regions, precipitation will continue until Sunday. Another portion of precipitation will arrive on Monday. In southwestern and western Poland (Lower Silesia, Greater Poland, Lubusz), there will be snowfall, while in the east, south, and center, there will be freezing rain, rain with snow, and snow. Weekend precipitation will be mainly associated with a warm front moving northward with deviation to east or northeast.
In the high mountains during the weekend, strong wind (halny) is also expected, with gusts reaching 70-90 km/h.
