During the monitoring period, the sowing of winter wheat was delayed but nevertheless completed before November, while maize and spring wheat were harvested up to October. Cropped arable land (CALF) increased by a spectacular 16 percentage points compared to the five-year average. Like parts of the Central Europe to Western Russia MPZ, the weather in Russia was colder than average. Rainfall was average (RAIN, -0.7%), but temperature decreased 1.8°C below seasonal values. The biomass production potential indicator (BIOMSS) also decreased 18.3% due to the poor weather condition. Specifically, in Kostromskaya oblast, rainfall and temperature were well below average (RAIN, -21% and TEMP, -2.0°C). The largest precipitation deficit and the largest negative temperature anomaly occurred in the Komi-Permyak okrug (-32% and -3.5°C).

NDVI is normally low during the Russian winter (0.05 in January, see NDVI development graph) due to the snow. This year, however, NDVI was even below average as snow started early. The whole country, with the exception of the western Caspian area (the least continental part of Russia), was snow covered from mid-November until even the western Caspian was affected starting in early January. At the time of reporting, the western Caspian is the only area with below average NDVI (11.3% of croplands), while remaining areas recovered from about 0.2 units below average. As shown in the spatial NDVI cluster pattern graph, NDVI was slightly above average in November in the Volga Federal District, while in parts of the Ural and Siberia NDVI is close to average. In the Caucasus Federal District and Southern Federal District, NDVI is below average.

The VCIx in Russia during this monitoring period was 0.87. The outlook for Russian winter crops remains average to above average. 

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI  (b) Maximum VCI

(c) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA and the coresponding NDVI departure profiles