Kazhydromet has published its final forecast for optimal sowing dates for spring grain crops. According to forecasters, weather conditions will be within the climatic norm in most grain-growing regions this spring.
Optimal sowing dates for spring grain crops are forecast to generally occur around established climatic periods:
in the West Kazakhstan, Aktobe, Karaganda, and Abay regions – in the first and second ten-day periods of May;
in the North Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Akmola, Pavlodar, and East Kazakhstan regions – in the first to third ten-day periods of May;
in the Almaty and Zhetysu regions – in the first to third ten-day periods of April; and in mountainous and foothill areas – in the early first ten-day period of May.
Kazhydromet also noted that soil moisture conditions in the one-meter layer before winter in predominantly grain-growing regions were generally satisfactory and optimal. Low soil moisture reserves (below 50% of the minimum field capacity) were observed in the West Kazakhstan, Aktobe, Pavlodar, Karaganda, Abay, Zhambyl, and Turkestan regions.
In the fall and winter, precipitation was near or above normal across almost all of Kazakhstan. Below-normal precipitation was observed in certain areas of the northwest, central, and southeast of the country.
According to the weather forecast, average monthly temperatures in May are expected to be 1°C above normal across most of the country, and near normal across most of the East Kazakhstan region, the southeast of Abay, and the mountainous and foothill regions of the south and southeast.
Monthly precipitation in May is expected to be near normal across most of Kazakhstan. Below normal precipitation is expected in Kyzylorda and Ulytau regions, most of Karaganda, Turkestan, and Zhambyl regions, southeastern Aktobe, southern Kostanay, the northern half of Almaty, the extreme south of Akmola, northwestern Zhetysu, and the extreme southwestern Abay region.