Climate and Average Weather in Russia
Russia is the largest country in the world and deals with a large number of different types of climate. In general Russia has a grim climate with many extremes. In the winter months it is cool (west) to very cold (Siberia) while in the summer it is cool (arctic) and very warm (inland).
The east of the country experiences harsh, long, bitterly cold winters. The north of the country is always covered with snow and subject to permafrost. Southern Russia enjoys warm to sometimes hot summers with a lot rainfall, and very cold snowy winters.
The winters in Russia are not only cold, they are also dark. The number hours of sunshine in the months of December, January and February is on average one hour per day. Winter months tend to have low amounts of rainfall recorded across the country. More than 90% of Russia has in winter less than 30 millimeters (1.18 inch) of rainfall per month. This almost always falls in the form of snow. Due to the low temperatures, the low precipitation still ensures a fairly thick snow cover in most places in Russia.
The best travel time for a holiday in Russia is from May to September. This is the warmest and sunniest period in the whole country. You will have risk of severe heat in parts of Russia, but this not prevent summer being the best travel season. If you want to explore Siberia, the best travel time is limited to the months July and August. Especially if you want to visit the cooler areas of Siberia then these are the only two possible travel months.
Interested in more detailed Weather and Climate information for Russia?
Please select the city below you wish to travel to, or the one closest to your destination. Each selected city will show you the following graphs:
1. Yearly average minimum and maximum temperatures
2. Monthly averages of precipitation throughout the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Monthly average hours of sunshine throughout the year
Additionally, some pages provide historical weather data such as humidity, wind speed, and water temperature.