Russia's vast size means that many different climatic conditions prevail in different parts of the country, from continental in the south to arctic and sub-arctic in the north and east. Depending on location, winters range from cool to extremely cold, and summers from cool to very warm.

Siberia in the north has the coldest winter climate, while the southern European parts of the country are generally warm and humid. However, even in Siberia summers are quite warm and pleasant.

In the west, the cities of Moscow and St Petersburg have average summer temperatures between May and September of around 24 degrees C (75 degrees F), occasionally much hotter. There is high rainfall in summer, and violent thunderstorms are common.

Winters in these cities is harsh, with solid ice on the ground for much of the time between November and March and temperatures typically around -10 degrees C (14 degrees F) for much of the season, sometimes considerably colder. There are no distinct spring and autumn seasons, although what might be called 'Spring' is marked by the mud and slush of the thawing ice.

St Petersburg, further north than Moscow, experiences 24-hour daylight in summer.

Many expatriates living in Russia report that the worst thing about the winter climate is not the severe cold but the lack of sunshine and the long dark nights.