"It doesn't have to be minus 20 degrees to talk about a polar air mass"

We talk about a polar air mass when winds blow in from high in the north

If the polar air mass is continental, the air is drier. A maritime polar air mass is more humid, says the meteorologist on duty. Foto: Reuters

Monday's news about an oncoming polar air mass received great attention from readers. We called the ARSO Environment Agency to find out why the end of the week will be so "polar".

"At the end of the week Slovenia will be hit by a polar air mass. According to meteorologists daytime temperatures on Friday on Saturday will not rise above zero degrees," is what the information, summed up by the STA press agency, said. It did anger many readers who said the temperatures were not going to be low enough to call them "polar".

ARSO weatherman Andrej Velkavrh confirmed to MMC: "We will be under the influence of polar air, as a polar air mass is approaching."

When is air called polar?
Velkavrh explained: "It has a different spectrum of temperatures; it doesn't have to be minus 20 degrees for us to be talking about a polar air mass. It is defined by where it comes from – from the higher latitudes, from the polar regions, from high in the north. If it comes from the Baltic, it's not polar."

"What's coming at the end of the week is polar air, as a northern air mass will be approaching from the north of Scandinavia," he further explained.

In some places down to –15
So, although it will not be 40 degrees below the freezing point, it will be cold because of the polar air. "Daytime temperatures on Friday and Saturday will remain low. Especially on Saturday, when the winds will die down, and in southern regions with snow where it could even go below –15 degrees Celsius," says Velkavrh.

Last night snowfall was recorded from "Bela Krajina to Velike Lašče". Črnomelj received 17 cm of snow, while Kočevje and Novo Mesto saw 8 cm of snow. Mr. Velkavrh predicts that the snow will be there for quite some time "as there will not be enough warmth to melt it away immediately". In the days to come more snowfall is not forecast. "There might be a bit on Tuesday and Wednesday, but even that's very questionable."

If the polar air mass is continental, the air is drier. A maritime polar air mass is more humid, says the meteorologist on duty. "But the very cold air usually doesn't carry with it a lot of humidity and in general that means dry weather and less chance for fog. Usually it is also windy. And although it is colder, it does have a more comfortable feel to it compared to a minus five degrees and all that humidity," added Velkavrh.

Tina Hacler; translated by K. J.