Given its vast size, Russia experiences a wide range of climates, though it is generally characterized by a highly continental climate with distinct, often extreme seasons. Most of the country falls under the Humid Continental (Köppen Dfb) and Subarctic (Köppen Dfc) classifications, transitioning to Tundra (ET) in the far north.
Winters are notoriously long and bitter. In the European part, average January temperatures hover around -10°C to -5°C (14°F to 23°F), but in Siberia, they frequently plunge below -40°C (-40°F). The Siberian village of Oymyakon is famous as the coldest permanently inhabited settlement on Earth, with recorded temperatures dropping below -65°C (-85°F). Summers, by contrast, can be surprisingly warm. Moscow routinely sees summer temperatures between 20°C and 25°C (68°F to 77°F), and southern regions near the Black Sea enjoy a humid subtropical climate.
Precipitation is generally moderate in the European plains and light in Siberia, mostly falling as summer rain or winter snow. The best time to visit most parts of Russia for general tourism is from May to September, when the weather is mild and daylight hours are long—culminating in Saint Petersburg's famous "White Nights" in midsummer.
