The last weekend of February brought Poland a sudden warming, caused by a system of anticyclones blocking the inflow of cold air. On Saturday, February 28, a record 20 degrees Celsius was recorded over the Baltic Sea, prompting thousands of Poles to engage in outdoor activities. Despite the spring-like weather during the day, forecasters warn of night frosts and difficult conditions in higher mountain areas, where snow cover still persists.
Poland has come under the influence of a stable high-pressure system, which has brought masses of warm, tropical air over the country. This phenomenon, referred to by meteorologists as an anticyclonic block, caused a sudden temperature spike at the turn of February and March. The highest values were recorded in the coastal belt and in the west of the country, where thermometers in Darłowo indicated as much as 20 degrees Celsius. This thermal anomaly attracted crowds of strollers to parks, beaches in Ustka, and the Kraków Bagry reservoir, significantly ahead of the calendar spring. Despite exceptionally high daytime values, the meteorological situation remains complex. Experts from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management point to significant daily temperature ranges, meaning that after a sunny day, temperatures at night can drop below zero. This phenomenon is particularly visible in agricultural regions, where morning frosts can negatively affect early plant vegetation. At the same time, despite the warming in lowlands, good skiing conditions still persist in Kashubia, and in the Tatra and Karkonosze Mountains, warnings are in effect regarding treacherous trail conditions, where melting ice poses a real threat to tourists. February in Poland statistically remains one of the coldest months, but in the last decade, increasingly frequent cases of so-called 'false spring' have been observed, resulting from changes in air mass circulation over Central Europe.The long-term perspective suggests that the current warming is merely an episode in the variable weather at the turn of seasons. March is traditionally characterized by the alternation of polar-maritime and arctic air masses, which in Polish folk tradition is reflected in the saying 'March weather is like a stewpot.' It is also worth recalling that the <przypis title=