Climate in Russia

In much of Russia, the climate is continental, with very cold winters, during which the temperature is often below freezing, and warm summers. The northernmost regions, however, have an arctic or subarctic climate. Instead, on the Black Sea coast, there is a stretch that has an almost Mediterranean climate and is the only mild area.
Precipitation is generally not abundant. In the arctic regions it is weak but frequent, often occurring in the form of snow. In the southeast, the Caspian Sea area is semi-desert. Instead, in the main cities, located in the central belt (see Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod), precipitation is moderate, with a summer maximum.

Here, we are dealing with the European part of Russia, the one located to the west of the Ural Mountains, which is not as cold as the Asian one (Siberia), yet the lowest temperatures of the European continent are recorded here.
Proceeding from west to east, there is typically an increase in continentality (especially with regard to the winter cold) and a decrease in precipitation.
Owing to the absence of major mountain ranges (excluding the Caucasus in the south), this country is exposed to different influences, warm and cold, so the climate is characterized by a chronic instability.
The influence of Atlantic air masses is not remarkable, though they can sometimes bring mild and wet weather. From the Arctic Ocean, the blizzard is able to bring snow storms in winter; from Siberia, frigid air masses in winter may arrive, while from Central Asia, in summer warm winds can blow, called Sukhoviei.

See also the map with average temperatures in European Russia in January and July.

Index

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• The north - Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Murmansk, Pechora
• The big cities - Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Kaliningrad
• The south - Sochi, Astrahan, Grozny
• When to go
• What to pack
• Climate data

The north

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On the northernmost islands of Russia (see Franz Josef Land), at 80 degrees north latitude, the climate is polar (Arctic), with an average temperature in the coldest months (which at high latitudes are February and March) around -20 °C (-4 °F), so it is colder than in the Svalbard Islands (which belong to Norway), while the average in the warmest month (July) is around 1 °C (34 °F).

On Hayes Island (also called Heiss, Ostrov Kheysa in Russian) belonging to the archipelago of Franz Josef Land, the temperature can even drop below -40 °C (-40 °F), although the last time it reached this value was in January 1997.
Precipitation is scarce, around 270 millimeters (10.5 inches) per year.
The sun rarely shines, about 1,000 hours a year, with a maximum from April to June. Given the latitude, the sun is always below the horizon from late October to late February, while it never sets from mid-April to the end of August.

South of Franz Josef Land, on the islands of Novaya Zemlya, which separates the Barents Sea from the Kara Sea, the climate is Arctic in the northern tip, where the average in July is still around 1 °C (34 °F), while it becomes progressively milder as you move south. In inland areas, especially on the northern island, there are hills, where perennial snows are found already at a few hundred meters above sea level.

In Malye Karmakuly, in the south-central area, at 72 degrees north latitude, there is a tundra climate, with about 4 months above freezing (0 °C or 32 °F), namely from June to September.
On average, 310 mm (12 in) of rain, and especially snow, fall per year.



On the northern coasts of mainland Russia, which border the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea, there is still a tundra climate.
The Barents Sea remains ice-free even in winter because the last branch of the Gulf Stream arrives here. The average temperatures in winter are around -5 °C (23 °F) in the western part of the Kola Peninsula and decrease progressively towards the east, until they drop to about -20 °C (-4 °F) in the eastern part (see Amderma).
As we have said, along these coasts the summer is cold, with average daily temperatures rising a few degrees above freezing in the warmest months, during which highs are around 10/12 °C (50/54 °F).

More to the south, at a certain distance from the sea or along the shores of bays and sheltered inlets, there is a large area where there is a subarctic climate, with a long, cold winter (often colder than in the previous area because of the stronger continentality) and a cool or mild summer, when average temperatures exceed 10 °C (50 °F).

For example, in Murmansk, in a fjord on the Kola Peninsula, the average temperature in January is -9.5 °C (15 °F), while in summer the temperature is steadily above freezing for about 5 months and a half, from May to mid-October, and the average maximum in July is around 17 °C (63 °F). The coldest record is -39.3 °C (-38.7 °F). In summer, the temperature can sometimes reach 30 °C (86 °F) for short periods.



Being sheltered from the Gulf Stream, the White Sea freezes during winter; along the coasts, in cities like Arkhangelsk and Onega, the average daily temperature in January are around -12 °C (10 °F), while in summer the maximum temperature reaches on average 20/22 °C (68/72 °F).

Further east, in the vast plains of the Arkhangelsk Oblast and of the Komi Republic, there are areas where the lowest temperatures of the European continent have been recorded: -52 °C (-61.5 °F) in Vorkuta (in 1978), and -56 °C (-69 °F) in Pechora (in 1946).
In Pechora, located at a latitude of 65 degrees north, about 380 km (240 miles) south of the Arctic coast, the average temperature in January is -18 °C (-0.5 °F). In July, the average maximum is around 22 °C (72 °F), with short periods above 30 °C (86 °F).

The big cities

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Further south, we enter a wide flat area that includes Moscow, St. Petersburg and the major cities of European Russia. This area has a continental climate.
Winter is very cold, but the temperature remains below freezing for a shorter period than in the north. During cold spells, temperatures can drop below -20 °C (-4 °F), and more rarely below -30 °C (-22 °F).
Summer is quite warm, with possible heat waves, usually short-lived, during which temperatures can reach 35 °C (95 °F).
Precipitation is moderate, from 550 to 750 millimeters (21.5 to 29.5 inches) per year, and occurs all year round, with light snowfall often occurring in winter, while summer is the rainiest season, also due to afternoon thunderstorms.
In this vast area, the climate becomes progressively more continental as one goes east, mainly because winters become colder. In fact the average in January and February ranges from about -5 °C (23 °F) in Saint Petersburg, to -7 °C (19 °F) in Moscow, to -10 °C (14 °F) in Kazan, to -12 °C (10 °F) in Ufa, more than kilometers (600 miles) east of Moscow.
In summer, on the other hand, the temperature gradually increases from north-west to south-east, so much so that the July average, which is around 19 °C (66 °F) in St. Petersburg and Moscow, reaches up to 22 °C (71.5 °F) in Samara and Orenburg.
In the great Russian plains, in the past the winter was colder: the average temperature in recent decades has increased by a few degrees, and cold waves from Siberia have become more rare.



Outside of the main territory, in the west, between Poland and Lithuania, we find the small exclave of Kaliningrad (formerly Königsberg), where the winter is milder, with a January average of -1.5 °C (29.5 °F).

The south

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In the southern region of Russia, in the plains between Ukraine and Kazakhstan, winters are still cold but shorter, while summers are hot. Owing to the scarcity of precipitation, in this area we find the steppe.
Already in Volgograd, where the average temperature in January is -6 °C (21 °F), in summer highs are normally around 29/30 °C (84/86 °F), but sometimes they can reach 40 °C (104 °F); annual precipitation amounts to only 350 millimeters (13.8 inches).

The only part of European Russia where the daily average in January exceeds freezing is the coast of the Black Sea. It should be noted, however, that in this area the winter is not mild everywhere: it's still cold in the Sea of Azov, where the average temperature in January is -0.5 °C (31 °F), while along the coast of the Black Sea it gradually increases, from 3 °C (37.5 °F) in Anapa, to 7 °C (44.5 °F) in Sochi.
The Sochi area is protected by the Caucasus mountains and is the only truly mild one, similar to that of the Mediterranean Sea (in fact, this was the winter holiday resort for the members of the Soviet nomenklatura). The average temperature in January and February is 7 °C (44.5 °F). To the north there are mountains that partly protect this area from the cold wind, which often blows as a warm, down-slope wind. However, even here there can be cold spells, with snowfalls and frosts.
In summer, the temperature is high: the average in July and August is around 24/24.5 °C (75/76 °F).
In return, in this area it rains a lot all year round, even in summer, when showers and thunderstorms can occur in the afternoon. On the northern coast of the Black Sea, in Anapa, it rains less, and in summer only 30/40 mm (1.2/1.6 in) fall per month, compared with more than 100 mm (4 in) per month in Sochi.
Sochi receives 2,175 hours of sunshine a year. The amount of sunshine is better than in the rest of Russia, but it does not reach the levels of the Mediterranean cities, where more than 2,500 hours of sunshine per year are often recorded.
The sea temperature in Sochi is warm enough for swimming in summer, especially in July and August, when it reaches 24/25 °C (75/77 °F).



In the Caspian Sea, the situation is quite different, and the climate is not so mild. Along the northern coast, the climate is semi-desert, with hot summers, when the daily average in July and August is around 24/25 °C (75/77 °F), and cold winters, with a January average of -3.5 °C (26 °F) in Astrakhan and -2 °C (28 °F) in Lagan' (formerly Kaspiyskiy). Although the average winter temperature is a little higher than in the central-north, sometimes there can be intense cold spells, up to -30 °C (-22 °F). In summer, on the other hand, it can reach 40 °C (104 °F).
Continuing south, the climate becomes progressively less cold and a little less arid along the coast of Dagestan: the average January temperature is -1 °C (30 °F) in Makhachkala and reaches 2 °C (35.5 °F) in the southernmost part, near the border with Azerbaijan, more or less in the middle of the Caspian Sea (see Derbent).



In winter, the Caspian Sea in the Russian side is colder than the Black Sea, while in summer it becomes equally warm.

West of Astrahan, Kalmykia (see Elista) is the hottest region in Russia in summer, with highs of 32/33 °C in July and records of 43/44 °C (109/111 °F).

Between the two seas (the Caspian Sea is actually a huge salt lake), we find the aforementioned Caucasus Mountains, among which Mount Elbrus stands out with its 5,642 meters (18,510 feet).
Here the climate varies with altitude and slope exposure, so it is cold and snowy at high altitudes, while at low altitudes, at the foot of the mountains, it is continental with cold winters. On the contrary, summers are warm or hot.

In Grozny the average temperature ranges from -1 °C (30 °F) in January to 24.5 °C (76 °F) in July.
The western part of the Caucasus is more rainy (and more snowy in winter) than the eastern one. Precipitation in Grozny is not abundant, since it amounts to 550 mm (21.5 in) per year, and it's scarce in winter and relatively more abundant in late spring and summer.

When to go

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The best time to visit most of European Russia is generally the summer (late May to early September in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and only July and August in the northernmost areas), which allows to avoid the discomfort of cold and bad weather. On the other hand, in the southern regions (the Caspian Sea, the steppe areas, the foothills of the Caucasus), where the summer is hot, you may prefer May and September.

In St. Petersburg, even in summer there can be cool and rainy days; in June, here as in other areas located at high latitude, you can enjoy the famous white nights (when it never becomes completely dark).

In Moscow, where in winter the temperature can drop to -30 °C (-22 °F) and below, summer can sometimes be hot, with highs about 30 °C (86 °F) and even above; in the afternoon, there may be some thunderstorms, while sometimes days can be cool even in mid-summer, with maximum temperatures below 20 °C (68 °F).

The worst time in Russia is probably the thaw: unpaved roads are often impassable because of the mud caused by the melting snow. Depending on the area and the year, this phenomenon, called rasputitsa, occurs in different periods. In the Arctic, it occurs in summer, while in Moscow it usually occurs in late March or early April, and it lasts about a fortnight. The Russians prefer the winter frost to these cold and wet periods.

If you intend to visit Russia in its winter appearance, in the second half of February the days are longer and temperatures is often less cold, though still below freezing.

What to pack

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In winter: it's necessary to bring cold weather clothing such as synthetic thermal long underwear, a fleece, a parka, a wind jacket, warm boots. For Sochi and the Black Sea: bring warm clothes, such as a sweater, a jacket, a raincoat or umbrella.

In summer: in Moscow and St. Petersburg, bring spring/autumn clothes, T-shirts and shorts for hot days, but also a jacket and a sweater for the evening and for cooler days; a raincoat or umbrella.
On the Arctic coasts and islands: bring warm clothes, such as a down jacket, a hat, gloves.
In the south, the coast of the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea: bring light clothing, a sweatshirt or a light jacket for the evening.

Climate data - Russia

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See also the temperatures month by month