Omsk is an important industrial and economic center of Western Siberia. The territory occupied by him exceeds five hundred square kilometers. The nearest neighbors are the Tyumen, Novosibirsk and Tomsk Regions, the Republic of Kazakhstan. He received the status of a municipality at the end of the 18th century, after almost fifty years becoming a regional center.
Landscape and natural resources
Transport access is provided by the Trans-Siberian Railway, the navigable channel of the Irtysh River and a developed network of highways of federal and local significance. Other large waterways of the region are Om, Uy, Osh, Ishim. Near the metropolis are lakes with fresh and salt water.
The latter contain huge reserves of sodium chloride. The lion's share of their shores is exposed, only a small fraction is covered with sparse vegetation. Omsk lies on the plain. Granite deposits are hidden in its bowels. There is diabase, slate, gneiss and peat. The soil is represented by clay and sandy soils.
The city is located in the forest-steppe zone. On all sides it is surrounded by forest tracts. Pine, birch, aspen, fir, spruce and cedar grow in its vicinity. What is the climate in Omsk? Now let's figure it out. The breadth of the settlement coincides with the geographical position of cities such as Kaliningrad, Manchester, Vitebsk, Ryazan and Copenhagen. But their meteorological characteristics are strikingly different from the weather conditions of Western Siberia.
Key Features
Since the city is located in temperate Nordic latitudes, the climate of Omsk is characterized by sharply continental features. Winters in the city are severe and frosty. They last much longer than in other regions of the north of Russia. They are characterized by extremely low air temperatures. Spring in Omsk comes later than the neighbors. In addition to sunny days, it brings prolonged cold snap to these parts. The same can be said of the fall months.
At the same time, rainfall in the city are rare guests. The continental climate of Omsk is explained by the influence of air currents. They come from temperate latitudes. Rains and snow in the city are replaced by endless winds. Hurricanes throughout the calendar year freely penetrate the plain territory of Omsk.
Cold currents come from the north . From the south - dry and mostly warm. Their frequent change provokes constant fluctuations in temperature conditions. This explains the climate in Omsk. Most clearly they are felt during the off-season. Squally winds sweep over the city every now and then.
Temperature values
If we compare the temperature of the hottest and coldest months, the difference in values will be about 40 ° C. It is almost always four degrees colder than in settlements concentrated on a similar latitude. In winter, the thermometer column ranges from -9 ... 25. In summer, it only rarely drops below 10 ° and reaches 23 ° - such is the variable Siberian climate of Omsk. From the point of view of meteorology, September is considered the most stable month. Temperature jumps are minimal at this time.
In January, the average value is -20 ° C. This is the coldest month. The hottest is July. The thermometer column is held at 19 ° C. At the same time, the historical maximum, which was recorded in Omsk, is 38 ° . Over a hundred and fifty consecutive days in the territory of the city and the region, the temperature is kept above + 5 ° C, and only one hundred days - above + 10 ° C.
Winter colds, regardless of the calendar date, return to the west of Siberia until the very end of spring. The climate of Omsk is such that autumn frosts are not long in coming. They begin already in the last days of August. Due to strong winds, cloud cover in the region lasts almost nine months on average. It almost never exceeds 60%. The clearest months are April and March. In November and October, the sun peeks out from behind the clouds least often.
Precipitation in Omsk, although a little, but they still exist. Their average annual volume is 400 millimeters. This is fifty percent less than in central Russia. More than half of the rain falls in the summer. They are stormy and fall upon the city suddenly. In the areas adjacent to the metropolis, drought provokes forest fires from year to year.
Seasonality
Omsk's climate is also distinguished by the formation of seasonality. Winter lasts for five months. It begins in November, and ends at the end of March. Most often, sunny and frosty weather is kept during this period. The first snow can fall in September, but a full-fledged snow cover is formed by the first of November. He reaches his maximum in mid-March.
Winter and spring
In winter, the city is dominated by a Siberian anticyclone. The wind is blowing from the southwest side. As such, there are almost no thaws. The climate of Omsk is characterized by a short and fast spring. It lasts a couple of calendar months by force. Comes in April and losing ground in May. As soon as the snow crust melts, the air temperature begins to increase rapidly.
In April, it is 10 ° C warmer than in March. In the middle of spring, there is a turning point: the daily temperature readings pass the zero line. The spring weather and climate of Omsk are as unstable as the autumn days. In summer, a warm morning can quickly give way to a frosty noon.
The cold air masses bring cold, now and then breaking into these parts from the north. Within one day, the difference in the readings of the thermometer can be twenty degrees. In spring, gusty winds blowing from the south-west of Siberia. In May, dust storms occur that serve as harbingers of dry summers. With the onset of July, real summer comes to Omsk.
Summer and fall
In June, daylight hours are approximately 18 hours. In July - thirty minutes less, and in August - 15.5. There are no sudden changes in temperature at this time.
Autumn is as short in the west of Siberia as spring. Starting in September, it ends in October. The established clear and cloudless weather is gradually replaced by torrential rains, and lead clouds drag the sky . The closer to winter, the greater the amplitude of the temperature “swing”. More and more frosts are noted.
First snow
In the cold years, a stable cover is formed in October. The maximum height of the infusion is 77 centimeters. The total number of snow days is 160. Heavy snowfall falls in December and January. By the beginning of February, the height of the cover is 33 cm. This month also accounts for the highest humidity. Its average value is 81%. Snowstorms occur every three days. August is recognized as the most foggy. The mist hosts in October.
Old-timers of Omsk testify that in the city from year to year it becomes drier and hotter. This is also confirmed by the statistics of Omsk meteorologists. Climate and ecology are inextricably linked. Scientists explain this anomalous warming by the unfavorable situation in the metropolis and the region. This is due to emissions from industrial enterprises and the irrational use of natural resources in the region.
Ecological situation
Despite the abundance of water bodies located in the western part of Siberia, scientists are sounding the alarm. Many rivers in the region are in danger of total extinction. Their channels were almost completely overgrown with shrubs and trees.
The basins of large rivers continue to be polluted by the industrial enterprises of the region. The situation is aggravated by the discharge of wastewater and artificial fertilizers and poisons being washed away from agricultural fields. Chemical substances hazardous to human health are regularly recorded in the Irtysh waters. The condition of part of its tributaries is critical.
The water of the water area is recognized as dirty. It contains petrochemical products, heavy metal compounds, phenols, manganese, and organics. Among the many reasons that led to the disastrous environmental situation, there are the lack of a centralized sewage system in settlements, active residential and commercial development of water protection territories.
Disruptions in the use of agricultural land, which lead to the ingress of mineral substances into the Irtysh, also have a devastating effect.