Winter crops in Ukraine face no threats

Throughout December 2025, Ukraine experienced significantly warmer weather than usual.

According to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, the average monthly air temperature across the country was 2.2–3.5 °C above normal, ranging from -0.3 °C in the northeast to +3.5 °C in the western regions.

During the month, atmospheric fronts brought various forms of precipitation, including snow, wet snow, rain, and drizzle. Experts note that in the first half of December, winter crops were mostly in a state of shallow dormancy. On days when daytime temperatures rose to +7–15 °C, slow vegetation occurred in winter grains, with some areas in the south, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Volyn regions showing signs of developmental phase changes.

From December 13–26, one to three weeks later than the long-term average, average daily temperatures dropped below 0 °C, establishing a consistent winter weather regime. By the end of the month, snow cover formed across most of the country, ranging from 6 to 20 cm, reaching up to 30 cm in the highlands of the Carpathians, while southern, western, and Vinnytsia regions saw only 1–5 cm of snow.

As of December 31, soil freezing depth across southern, western, and central regions did not exceed 1–10 cm, while in other areas it ranged from 11–20 cm, with certain parts of Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, and Rivne regions reaching 21–29 cm. Minimum soil temperatures at the 3 cm depth (crown node) of winter crops and perennial grasses dropped to -3–9 °C, and in Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia regions to -1–2 °C — well above critical freezing levels.

As a result of these weather conditions, no threats to the survival of winter crops or fruit trees were observed during December, the Hydrometeorological Center concluded.

Tags: Ukraine, crop condition