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 only one hour of sunshine per day. Also 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.