April will begin with contrasts. Should we hide our warm clothes?
March 2026 turned out to be unique – after a snowy winter, the ground thawed only at the end of the month, and now the air temperature reaches levels typical for the second half of April. However, a cold snap from Scandinavia is expected at the beginning of next month.
This was shared in a blitz interview with RBC-Ukraine by Vitaliy Postryhan, head of the Cherkasy Hydrometeorological Center.
Read also: Plus even at night, but a cold snap is approaching: the date when the weather will change has been announced
Main points
- Meteorological spring in Ukraine began at the usual time
- The beginning of April will bring Scandinavian cold
- It’s too early to plant vegetables, seedlings, and potatoes – frost is possible until mid-April
- The dry spell has lasted more than a month – there is a risk of drought in the second half of May
What weather can Ukrainians expect in April this year (Infographic RBC-Ukraine)
– What will the beginning of April be like in Ukraine? Should Ukrainians expect a cold snap or will the thermometer readings rise instead?
– Traditionally, before Easter, we experience a cold snap, and Palm Sunday week is no different. This March is unique.
After a snowy and cool winter, the ground was still covered with snow at the beginning of the first spring month, and complete thawing occurred only at the end of March.
Now we are feeling warmth from the southern latitudes. Daily maximum temperatures reach 13-15°, and the average daily temperature is forecasted to be in the range of 10-11° this weekend, which corresponds to the second half of April.
At such values, the heating season usually comes to an end. However, at the beginning of April, we will receive a portion of Scandinavian coolness, so the temperature background will significantly drop. Spring is like this…
– Last year’s spring was remembered for catastrophic frosts, leaving us without fruit harvests. Is there a similar threat this year?
– Last March was record warm. This early warmth turned out to be deceptive, as it triggered early flowering of fruit trees, after which April recorded unprecedented severe frosts with intensities of up to 9° and durations of 11-19 hours.
Read also: A cold snap and dangerous weather conditions are approaching Ukraine: which regions should prepare
These conditions led to massive losses of apricot and nut harvests, and in some places, peaches, cherries, and grapes also froze.
April frosts posed a serious challenge for gardeners and beekeepers. This year, however, the March warmth has not been sufficient to initiate flowering processes, so the anticipated invasion of polar air at the beginning of April does not threaten the orchards.
– In some cities of Ukraine, heating has already been turned off. Is it too early for this, considering that it has snowed in spring before?
– According to regulations, the heating season ends when the average daily temperature exceeds 8ºC for three consecutive days.
Over the past 30 years, in central regions, the average transition of the average daily temperature above 8ºC occurs in the first decade of April.
The heating season has shortened by 10-15 days, partly due to later cold snaps in the fall. Over the last 75 years of meteorological observations in central Ukraine, the earliest date for the temperature to exceed +8º was March 18, 1990, and the latest was May 2, 1981.
Last year, the heating season ended on March 31. Then, after a historically warm March, a contrasting April arrived with temperature fluctuations from summer warmth to winter chill, snow in the first half of the month, and intense and prolonged frosts.
It seemed as if the spring months had swapped places. According to international meteorological models, we expect a return of cold at the beginning of this April, which may delay the end of the heating season.
April will be cool, but there is no talk of a return to winter weather (Getty Images)
– How stable will the weather be in the first half of April – is this a short-term cold snap or a trend?
Warm clothes and umbrellas remain in trend. Let’s clarify: sensational headlines in the information space about snow and frosts in April are not a surprise; such things happen.
However, it is not worth speaking about snow cover and the return of winter.
At the same time, it is important to remember that spring is a transitional season from winter cold to summer warmth, so temperature “swings” and Arctic invasions are quite natural, which emphasizes the changeable nature of spring weather.
– Are precipitation – rain or even wet snow – expected during this period?
– April promises us contrasts. The synoptic situation will not favor a gradual increase in warmth. Cyclones will dominate the atmosphere, and therefore we should not expect stable warm and dry weather.
Read also: “Silence season” begins in Ukraine in April: what it is and what will be strictly prohibited
Everything will depend on the trajectory and speed of the movement of barometric formations. For example, in April 2025, the temperature background fluctuated from summer warmth to winter chill, with severe and prolonged late frosts.
Accordingly, precipitation during such temperature swings was observed in the form of wet snow, snow, and rain. A temporary snow cover was established during the period of April 5-10, with a height of 1-4 cm.
Currently, leading global forecasting centers expect the activation of southern cyclones in the first decade of April. It is quite likely that in some regions, rain will fall, and in places, brief returns of winter precipitation are possible.
– Farmers in the southern regions are already actively working in the fields. Will the weather favor the sowing campaign in the rest of the country?
– After an unusually snowy winter, with significant soil freezing, the dry spell has lasted for more than a month, and the ground is drying out quickly.
In our area, the sowing campaign is at a low start. Agrometeorologists note that the soil has reached a soft-plastic state almost everywhere, allowing for the spring sowing to commence.
Moreover, the temperature at a depth of 10 cm has already warmed up to 6-7°, which is optimal for peas, barley, oats, and wheat at 4-5°. Even the return of cold will not harm either the germinated seeds or the seedlings.
However, it is still too early to plant vegetables, seedlings, and potatoes. The frost-dangerous period continues until mid-April.
In years with similar developments, a lack of precipitation in spring often becomes a precursor to drought in the second half of May. This can later transform into hot and dry summer, which poses a serious risk to the harvest of late crops.
For example, despite a sufficiently rainy winter, the southeastern areas of Cherkasy region and further east are already experiencing a lack of rain.
Therefore, this year, measures to conserve soil moisture are more relevant than ever.
_3.jpg)
When to plant vegetables, seedlings, and potatoes this spring (Infographic RBC-Ukraine)
– Has meteorological spring already arrived in Ukraine?
– Meteorological spring is a stable transition of the average daily air temperature through 0 towards an increase.
In 2026, meteorological spring generally began at the usual climatic time – in early March.
– In early March, authorities warned Ukrainians about the danger of floods. The western regions are usually at the highest risk of flooding. Are there threats of high water across the country?
– In recent years, during the spring flooding, inundations in Cherkasy region are most often observed in low-lying areas, especially where rivers transition into floodplains or where large water bodies originate.
Of course, the most vulnerable areas are those adjacent to the Dnieper River and its floodplains, where there are low-lying sections that become flooded during the rise in water levels.
If housing or other structures are built in floodplain areas and within coastal protective strips, water during flooding simply returns to its natural place.
Although specific villages or streets may change from year to year depending on weather conditions, low-lying areas near the Dnieper and major tributaries traditionally have the highest risk.
However, the arrival of high water in the Dnieper is still ahead, as this year in the upper part of the largest river in our state and upstream beyond the country, there were also sufficient snow reserves.
Maximum water levels of the spring flooding have formed on the Irpen River, Irsha, and the lower section of the Ros River near Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi (sub-basin of the Middle Dnieper) at heights of 0.3-1.1 m above pre-flood marks, without negative consequences.
Question and Answer (FAQ)
– What will the beginning of April be like: warming or cooling?
At the beginning of April, Ukraine will be covered by Scandinavian coolness – the temperature background will significantly drop. Currently, daily maximums reach 13-15°C, which corresponds to the second half of April, but a portion of cold air from the north will arrive at the beginning of the month.
– Are frosts threatening gardens and vegetable patches, as in 2025?
The situation is different from last year. In 2025, record March warmth triggered early flowering of fruit trees, after which April frosts down to -9°C destroyed the harvest.
This year, March warmth has not yet been sufficient for flowering, and the frost-dangerous period continues until mid-April – it is too early to plant vegetables, seedlings, and potatoes.
– Is it too early to turn off heating in cities?
Usually, this happens in the first decade of April in central regions. However, the expected return of cold may delay the end of the heating season.
– Should we expect rain or snow in April?
April promises contrasts. Cyclones will dominate the atmosphere, and stable warm and dry weather is not expected.
Read also:
- Batteries are getting cold: in which cities of Ukraine heating has already been turned off, dates announced
- Rapid warming and thunderstorms? Meteorologists explained what April may be like in Ukraine
