This guide was written prior to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and is therefore not reflective of the current situation. Travel to Russia is currently not advisable due to the area's volatile political situation.
The weather in Russia is nearly as varied as the country is large. Expats are advised to research the climate of their specific destination to get a better idea of what to expect.
Technically, Russia’s climate is predominately continental. Although the north is heavily influenced by its proximity to the Arctic, while the southern reaches of the Russian Far East experience a monsoonal influence from the Pacific Ocean.
European Russia, on the other hand, is humid continental, with some maritime influence. Autumn and spring are pleasant but fleeting, and summers are only slightly longer.
That said, extreme cold is by far the most consistent and outstanding characteristic of the climate in Russia. Snow cover across the Russian Plain can last anywhere from 40 to 200 days, depending on latitude, and even longer in Siberia. The climate gets more severe the farther one moves east. As expat oil workers may discover, Siberia has harsh, long, bitterly cold winters.