Agricultural Risks of Winter Season in the Modern Changing Climate

The paper reveals the causes and consequences of unfavorable conditions for overwintering of winter grain crops on the example of the Moscow region. Unstable winter periods in the recent decades resulting from climate change have often led to the damage or loss of winter grain crops (winter wheat, winter rye, and triticale). Using the difference integral curve of average annual temperatures for the entire year, the growing season (May–September), and the period from September to April, including the winter season, it is shown that warm years and warm seasons have been generally observed since 1987. The sum of negative temperatures, snow depth, frost depth, the number of days with snow cover, the duration of cold periods with air temperatures below 0, –5, –10°C, etc. are analyzed for assessment of the changes in overwintering conditions.