The descent of the cold gas masses towards our country, which began with the bad weather «Diomede» (10-12/01/2022), is expected to continue in waves during the new week, according to the forecast data of the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr. In fact, the chances are increased that the cold invasion that will occur on the weekend 22-23/01, will be the most intense, as will carry marine polar air masses.
Specifically, on Sunday, 16/01, the first of a new series of cold invasions took place, which was dry and not accompanied by any phenomena. The weekend Tuesday 18/01 - Wednesday 19/01 will be followed by a second cold invasion, slightly stronger, which will produce temporary phenomena in Eastern and Southern Greece, including transient snowfall in areas of Evia and Eastern Central Greece with relatively low altitude. Finally, from Saturday, 22/01, a third, even stronger cold invasion may occur, which shows increased chances of snowfall even in lowland areas.
But what is the reason for the obsession with atmospheric circulation of this type? The answer lies 10 kilometres above the Earth's surface and in the motion of the air curtain. The airmass is a strong current of air about 10 kilometres above the Earth's surface moving from west to east. The movement of the airflow determines the creation and movement of the barometric systems.
In recent days, the polar vortex, heading from Canada to Europe, has been displaced further north from its average climatic position in the Western European region. This has resulted in the development of a high-pressure field in Central and Western Europe, where good weather conditions, droughts and occasionally unseasonably high temperatures prevail. Further east, however, in the Scandinavian region and western Russia, the airmass is turning southwards, carrying cold air masses southwards in waves, a pattern that is expected to persist.
