In the capital, Bishkek, as well as in the Chui Valley, the temperature fluctuated from +3 to +15 °C during the daytime in the first half of the month, with maximum readings reaching +15…+16 °C. Night temperatures ranged from -6 to 0 °C, sometimes rising to +1…+2 °C.
The weather was mostly dry, with light precipitation in the form of rain or wet snow at the beginning of the month, followed by sunny days. By mid-January, mild daytime temperatures reached +8…+13 °C, creating a feeling of spring.
However, in the high mountain regions, the situation is different: daytime temperatures fluctuate from -5 to +5 °C, while at night they drop to -15…-27 °C. For example, in the Ak-Tal district of the Naryn region, temperatures can reach -30…-35 degrees. In this regard, local authorities decided to switch to remote learning for schoolchildren.
According to folk proverbs, the Kyrgyz people say: “The arrival of the 'toksun' is bad. The departure of the 'childe' is bad.” The period of “toksun,” which symbolizes the cold, begins on December 11, but in some years the dates can shift by 3-7 days. During this period, heavy snowfall usually occurs, and temperatures drop sharply.
Typically, “toksun” lasts from December 13 to March 13. Some folk astronomers claim that this period covers the days from December 18 to March 18. During this time, a sharp cold snap occurs, preceding the “toksun.” This phenomenon is associated with the expression “Say hello to the cold, I will go myself to the one without boots,” which reflects the people's perception of the cold.
The period of “toksun” is divided into three phases:
- beginning — from December 13 to January 8;
- middle — from January 8 to February 18;
- concluding phase — from February 18 to March 13.
According to the wisdom of the elders, the expression “Toksun won't leave, the frost won't leave” emphasizes that the frosts will not disappear until the “toksun” is over. After this period ends, the weather gradually becomes warmer, and sometimes rain or “yellow snow” occurs. People say, “The old man during the toksun is groaning, turning from one side to the other,” which shows how the elder groans, waiting for changes in the weather. The period after March 13 symbolizes the departure of the “toksun old man,” which means the arrival of spring and the melting of ice.
With the beginning of the new period in the Kochkor district, the time of winds begins. Despite the cool weather, some residents mistakenly believe that this is “childe” — the 40 coldest days of the year, while in fact, the cold period covers the days from January 8 to February 18.
Sherimbek Omurkaliev, a resident of the village of Kara-Küngöy in the Kochkor district of the Naryn region, told a Turmush correspondent about the division of “winter childe” into six periods, which in total last for forty days and forty nights.
The first period — “kyrdach” — lasts from January 8 to 13. The second, also six days long, is from January 14 to 19. The third, known as “The Seven Sons of Jete,” runs from January 20 to 26 and is considered the coldest. The fourth period is called “Kantaar” and covers just one day — January 27, marking the end of the twentieth day of “childe.”
Then comes the second half of “childe.” The fifth period, “Üt,” lasts from January 28 to February 11 and is characterized by heavy snowfall and rain. The sixth, “Apkyt sapkyt alty kün,” continues from February 12 to 18. The complete end of “childe” occurs on February 18, marking the conclusion of this cold period.
