Lithuanians are routinely failing to adequately hydrate during the winter months, leading to symptoms like dry mouths and dizziness, according to family physician Kristina Lebedevaitė. The warning, issued on February 20, 2026, highlights a common oversight despite widespread awareness of the body’s reliance on water – approximately 70 percent, as commonly remembered from school lessons.
Lebedevaitė explained that water is essential for numerous bodily functions, including blood circulation, temperature regulation, metabolism, toxin removal, and joint and tissue health. The physician’s observation comes as Lithuania experiences a colder than usual winter, with temperatures in Raseiniai dropping to -23.8°C overnight on January 12-13, 2026, the lowest recorded in two years, according to the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service.
While recent cold snaps and significant snowfall – ranging from 5 to 37 cm across the country – might suggest a return to traditional Lithuanian winters, climatologist Dr. Viktorija Mačiulytė cautions against drawing such conclusions. She emphasizes the importance of analyzing long-term trends to understand the evolving nature of Lithuanian winters. Dr. Mačiulytė noted that the beginning of January saw snowfall levels not recorded since 2011 in the Žemaitija region.
Climate data indicates that Lithuania’s winters have shortened by approximately half a month and warmed by over two degrees Celsius in recent decades. Klimatologas Arūnas Bukantis has warned that milder winters are not necessarily positive, as fluctuating temperatures contribute to an increase in hazardous weather events. The Lithuanian climate is generally characterized as moderately cold with snowy winters, influenced by both global factors and local geographical conditions, with an average annual temperature of 7-8°C.
Despite the recent cold, Dr. Mačiulytė asserts that climate change is still the dominant factor, leading to shorter periods of ice and snow cover and a rise in extreme weather occurrences. She anticipates that while cold, wintery periods will continue to occur in Lithuania, they will not represent consistent, long-lasting winter conditions. The lowest temperature recorded in Lithuania prior to the recent cold snap was -28.0°C in Zarasai on January 8, 2024.
