18 
daily temperatures fell to about -5°C on 21 and 22 January, with minimum temperatures 
below -7°C. Water temperatures in Trzebiez and Swinoujscie fell to 0°C, and in Mi^dzyzdroje 
to -0.1 °C. On 23 January, southerly air flow set in again, with air temperatures rising slightly 
until 26 January, when a portion of warm tropical air from south-west was transported as far 
north-east as the Baltic Sea Basin. Mean daily temperatures around Lagoon rose from about 
0°C to over 5°C. The last remnants of sparse snow cover disappeared. Water temperature rose 
from 0.2°C on 25 January to 1.5°C on 29 January. On the last four days of the month, the air 
cooled again to slightly negative temperatures. 
February 
The stationary depression that had developed in January stayed over Western and Central 
Europe; secondary lows within this depression were not very active, and an exchange of air 
masses was usually limited to the polar air masses with small thermal contrasts. Nevertheless, 
occasional intrusions of Arctic air, usually transformed over the ocean, occurred several 
times. In the first days of the month, a small portion of Arctic air from Scandinavia arrived 
over the southern Baltic Sea, causing cooler temperatures on the coasts. Mean daily 
temperatures around Szczecin Lagoon fell to about -3°C, and minimum temperatures to -6°C. 
The water temperature in Trzebiez fell to +0.1 °C. Between 4 and 9 February, a sequence of 
atmospheric fronts crossed the Baltic Sea basin, followed by maritime polar air. Temperatures 
at Szczecin Lagoon rose to positive. The mean daily values on 6 to 8 February were 4°C, and 
maxima at about 8°C. However, already on the following day, behind a passing depression, a 
new portion of Arctic air arrived in the area of Szczecin Lagoon and caused temperatures to 
fall to -2.4°C, and the minimum temperature in Trzebiez to -6.3°C. On 10 February, an 
anticyclone started to develop over Scandinavia which shifted south-east in the following 
days and then spread eastward. From 10 February, the anticyclone led to the development of 
an easterly, and later south-easterly, air flow along the southern coasts of the Baltic Sea. Daily 
temperatures were close to 0°C, and only on 19 February, when the anticyclone retreated east, 
did a south-westerly air flow bring warmer air into the area (mean daily temperatures from 2 
to 9°C on cloudless days), causing water temperatures to rise above 4°C on 23 - 25 February. 
Only the last three days of the month, from 26 February, were cooler due to a cold front 
passing along the southern coasts of the Baltic Sea, followed by Arctic air masses. Mean 
daily temperatures dropped to about -2°C, and the minima to about -5°C. 
March 
Another intrusion of Arctic air occurred on 1 March, but negative air temperatures were 
recorded only at night, in the vicinity of Szczecin Lagoon. 
Between 2 and 6 March, a rather vigorous westerly air flow forced its way eastward over the 
northern parts of Europe. Along the southern coasts of the Baltic Sea, mild maritime polar air 
flowed in. Mean daily temperatures oscillated around 6°C. Water temperatures rose to 4°C. On 
6 March, very warm maritime polar air invaded Europe, spreading north-east as far as Finland. 
The mean daily temperatures over Szczecin Lagoon rose from 5°C on 6 March to about 10°C 
on 10 and 11 March. This warm weather lasted until 19 March. Water temperatures rose to 
about 8°C on those days. On 20 March, a high pressure zone formed over Scandinavia and 
spread eastward on the following days. Air flow over the Southern Baltic Sea gradually 
changed to easterly. The previously southerly winds backed to easterly and north-easterly 
directions, and mean daily temperatures oscillated around 5°C. On 24 March, the high pressure 
zone moved southward from Scandinavia, followed by the intrusion of Arctic air masses which 
gradually penetrated south toward the British Isles, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, where a 
high formed on 29 and 30 March creating favourable conditions for night cooling. On 29 
March, in the area of Szczecin Lagoon, mean daily air temperatures were already negative and,