Climate of Moscow

Climate of the capital of Russia

Humid continental climate worldwide Moscow

Climate chart (explanation)

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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [1]
| Imperial conversion

J| F| M| A| M| J| J| A| S| O| N| D

2.1

1.7

1.5

1.5

2.4

3.1

3.3

3.1

2.6

2.8

█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Moscow has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with warm to hot summers and long, cold, winters. Typical high temperatures in the warm months of June, July and August are around 23 °C (73 °F), but during heat waves, which can occur anytime from May to September, daytime temperature highs often top 30 °C (86 °F) sometimes one or two weeks. In the winter, temperatures normally drop to approximately −10 °C (14 °F), though there can be periods of warmth with temperatures rising above 0 °C (32 °F). Summer lasts from mid-May to the beginning of September, and winter lasts from the beginning of November to the end of March. Humidity is high year-round, although it is lowest during the spring months.

More extreme continental climates at the same latitude- such as parts of Eastern Canada or Siberia\- have much colder winters than Moscow, suggesting that there is still significant moderation from the Atlantic Ocean[citation needed] despite the fact that Moscow is far from the sea.

## Monthly averages and records for Moscow

[edit]

Location of the VVC weather station on the map of Moscow

The highest temperature ever recorded was 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) on July 29, 2010. Minimum temperature recorded was −42 °C (−44 °F).[2] In 2007 three record highs for the month occurred – January +8.6 °C (47.5 °F), March +17.5 °C (63.5 °F), and May 33.2 °C (91.8 °F); in 2008, there were new record highs for December and the entire winter: +9.6 °C (49.3 °F). On July 23, 2010, the temperature reached 36.7 °C (98.1 °F)[3] and continued to set record highs each following day until it finally reached 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) on July 29, 2010. In November 2010 a new month record high of +14.5 °C (58.1 °F) occurred (after +12.6 in 1927).

Maximum temperature in Moscow and near regions during the 2010 Northern Hemisphere summer heat wave

Average annual temperature in Moscow is 5.8 °C (42.4 °F), but recently (2007, 2008, 2015) it has been higher than 7 °C (45 °F).[4] In the first half of the 20th century, there was light night frost in late summer.[5] 2020 become the warmest in the history of meteorological observations, the average annual temperature was 8.0 °C (46.4 °F) (while the monthly averages temperatures were above 0 °C (32 °F) even in March and November).[6]

Monthly precipitation totals are moderately high throughout the year, although precipitation levels tend to be higher during the summer than during the winter. Due to the significant variation in temperature between the winter and summer months as well as the limited fluctuation in precipitation levels during the summer, Moscow is considered to have a continental climate with no true dry season.

Most of the records and averages are given for VVC weather station, located in the North-Eastern administrative okrug of Moscow. The temperature from this station averages 0.5–1 °C lower than in the city center, and 0.5–2 °C higher than night minimums in the suburbs.[7]

Climate data for Moscow (2009–2018, VVC)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | −6
(21)  | −3.6
(25.5)  | 2.4
(36.3)  | 11.4
(52.5)  | 20.1
(68.2)  | 22.6
(72.7)  | 25.8
(78.4)  | 23.9
(75.0)  | 16.7
(62.1)  | 7.9
(46.2)  | 2.1
(35.8)  | −2.4
(27.7)  | 10.2
(50.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | −7.9
(17.8)  | −6
(21)  | −1
(30)  | 6.9
(44.4)  | 14.7
(58.5)  | 17.6
(63.7)  | 20.7
(69.3)  | 18.9
(66.0)  | 12.9
(55.2)  | 5.5
(41.9)  | 0.7
(33.3)  | −3.9
(25.0)  | 6.6
(43.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | −9.7
(14.5)  | −8.3
(17.1)  | −4.5
(23.9)  | 2.3
(36.1)  | 9.4
(48.9)  | 12.5
(54.5)  | 15.6
(60.1)  | 13.8
(56.8)  | 9.1
(48.4)  | 3.1
(37.6)  | −0.7
(30.7)  | −5.4
(22.3)  | 3.1
(37.6)
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 37  | 65  | 142  | 213  | 274  | 299  | 323  | 242  | 171  | 88  | 33  | 14  | 1,901
Source: weatheronline.co.uk[8]

Year of  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year  | Year of  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year

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Record high (max t°C)  | 2007 | 1989  | 2014 | 2012 | 2007 | 2021 | 2010 | 2010 | 1890  | 1915  | 2013 | 2008 | 2010 | high avg t°C  | 2020 | 1990  | 2007 | 2000 | 1979  | 1999  | 2010 | 2010 | 1847  | 1967  | 2013 | 2006 | 2020
Record low (min t°C)  | 1940  | 1929  | 1913  | 1879  | 1885  | 1916  | 1886  | 1885  | 1881  | 1960  | 1890  | 1940  | 1940  | low avg t°C  | 1893  | 1929  | 1860  | 1929  | 1918  | 1904  | 1904  | 1884  | 1993  | 1976  | 1844  | 1788  | 1862

Climate data for Moscow (VVC) normals 1991–2020, records 1879–present

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 8.6
(47.5)  | 8.3
(46.9)  | 19.7
(67.5)  | 28.9
(84.0)  | 33.2
(91.8)  | 34.8
(94.6)  | 38.2
(100.8)  | 37.3
(99.1)  | 32.3
(90.1)  | 24.0
(75.2)  | 16.2
(61.2)  | 9.6
(49.3)  | 38.2
(100.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | −3.9
(25.0)  | −3
(27)  | 3.0
(37.4)  | 11.7
(53.1)  | 19.0
(66.2)  | 22.4
(72.3)  | 24.7
(76.5)  | 22.7
(72.9)  | 16.4
(61.5)  | 8.9
(48.0)  | 1.6
(34.9)  | −2.3
(27.9)  | 10.1
(50.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | −6.2
(20.8)  | −5.9
(21.4)  | −0.7
(30.7)  | 6.9
(44.4)  | 13.6
(56.5)  | 17.3
(63.1)  | 19.7
(67.5)  | 17.6
(63.7)  | 11.9
(53.4)  | 5.8
(42.4)  | −0.5
(31.1)  | −4.4
(24.1)  | 6.3
(43.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | −8.7
(16.3)  | −8.8
(16.2)  | −4.2
(24.4)  | 2.3
(36.1)  | 8.1
(46.6)  | 12.2
(54.0)  | 14.8
(58.6)  | 13.0
(55.4)  | 8.0
(46.4)  | 3.0
(37.4)  | −2.4
(27.7)  | −6.5
(20.3)  | 2.6
(36.7)
Record low °C (°F)  | −42.1
(−43.8)  | −38.2
(−36.8)  | −32.4
(−26.3)  | −21
(−6)  | −7.5
(18.5)  | −2.3
(27.9)  | 1.3
(34.3)  | −1.2
(29.8)  | −8.5
(16.7)  | −20.3
(−4.5)  | −32.8
(−27.0)  | −38.8
(−37.8)  | −42.1
(−43.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 53
(2.1)  | 44
(1.7)  | 39
(1.5)  | 37
(1.5)  | 61
(2.4)  | 78
(3.1)  | 84
(3.3)  | 78
(3.1)  | 66
(2.6)  | 70
(2.8)  | 52
(2.0)  | 51
(2.0)  | 713
(28.1)
Average extreme snow depth cm (inches)  | 24
(9.4)  | 35
(14)  | 29
(11)  | 2
(0.8)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 0
(0)  | 4
(1.6)  | 12
(4.7)  | 35
(14)
Average rainy days  | 8  | 6  | 9  | 15  | 16  | 16  | 15  | 16  | 16  | 17  | 13  | 8  | 155
Average snowy days  | 25  | 23  | 15  | 6  | 1  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0.3  | 5  | 17  | 24  | 116
Average relative humidity (%)  | 85  | 81  | 74  | 68  | 67  | 72  | 74  | 78  | 82  | 83  | 86  | 86  | 78
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 33  | 72  | 128  | 170  | 265  | 279  | 271  | 238  | 147  | 78  | 32  | 18  | 1,731
Percent possible sunshine | 14  | 27  | 35  | 40  | 53  | 53  | 52  | 51  | 38  | 24  | 13  | 8  | 34
Average ultraviolet index | 0  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 5  | 6  | 6  | 5  | 3  | 1  | 1  | 0  | 3
Source 1: Pogoda.ru.net,[9][10] Thermograph.ru,[11] Meteoweb.ru (sunshine hours)[12]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[13]

Climate data for Moscow (VVC) normals 1961–1990, records 1879–the present

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 8.6
(47.5)  | 8.3
(46.9)  | 19.7
(67.5)  | 28.6
(83.5)  | 33.2
(91.8)  | 36.0
(96.8)  | 38.2
(100.8)  | 37.3
(99.1)  | 32.3
(90.1)  | 24.0
(75.2)  | 14.5
(58.1)  | 9.6
(49.3)  | 38.2
(100.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | −6.3
(20.7)  | −4.2
(24.4)  | 1.5
(34.7)  | 10.4
(50.7)  | 18.4
(65.1)  | 21.7
(71.1)  | 23.1
(73.6)  | 21.5
(70.7)  | 15.4
(59.7)  | 8.2
(46.8)  | 1.1
(34.0)  | −3.5
(25.7)  | 8.9
(48.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | −9.3
(15.3)  | −7.7
(18.1)  | −2.2
(28.0)  | 5.8
(42.4)  | 13.1
(55.6)  | 16.6
(61.9)  | 18.2
(64.8)  | 16.4
(61.5)  | 11.1
(52.0)  | 5.1
(41.2)  | −1.2
(29.8)  | −6.1
(21.0)  | 5.0
(41.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | −12.3
(9.9)  | −11.1
(12.0)  | −5.6
(21.9)  | 1.7
(35.1)  | 7.6
(45.7)  | 11.5
(52.7)  | 13.5
(56.3)  | 12.0
(53.6)  | 7.1
(44.8)  | 2.1
(35.8)  | −3.3
(26.1)  | −8.6
(16.5)  | 1.2
(34.2)
Record low °C (°F)  | −42.2
(−44.0)  | −38.2
(−36.8)  | −32.4
(−26.3)  | −21
(−6)  | −7.5
(18.5)  | −2.3
(27.9)  | 1.3
(34.3)  | −1.2
(29.8)  | −8.5
(16.7)  | −16.1
(3.0)  | −32.8
(−27.0)  | −38.8
(−37.8)  | −42.2
(−44.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 52
(2.0)  | 41
(1.6)  | 35
(1.4)  | 37
(1.5)  | 51
(2.0)  | 80
(3.1)  | 85
(3.3)  | 82
(3.2)  | 68
(2.7)  | 71
(2.8)  | 54
(2.1)  | 51
(2.0)  | 713
(28.1)
Average rainy days  | 0.8  | 0.7  | 3  | 9  | 13  | 14  | 15  | 15  | 15  | 12  | 6  | 2  | 105.5
Average snowy days  | 18  | 15  | 9  | 1  | 0.1  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0.1  | 2  | 10  | 17  | 72.2
Average relative humidity (%)  | 83  | 80  | 74  | 67  | 64  | 70  | 74  | 77  | 81  | 81  | 84  | 85  | 77
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 33  | 72  | 128  | 170  | 265  | 279  | 271  | 238  | 147  | 78  | 32  | 18  | 1,731
Source: [11][9]

[14][15]

Climate data for Moscow, records since 1948 (VVC weather st. only)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 8.6
(47.5)  | 8.3
(46.9)  | 19.7
(67.5)  | 28.9
(84.0)  | 33.2
(91.8)  | 36.0
(96.8)  | 38.2
(100.8)  | 37.3
(99.1)  | 29.4
(84.9)  | 23.7
(74.7)  | 14.5
(58.1)  | 9.6
(49.3)  | 38.2
(100.8)
Record low °C (°F)  | −38.1
(−36.6)  | −35.2
(−31.4)  | −27.9
(−18.2)  | −18.8
(−1.8)  | −5.0
(23.0)  | 0.8
(33.4)  | 5.1
(41.2)  | 2.1
(35.8)  | −5.2
(22.6)  | −16.1
(3.0)  | −23.3
(−9.9)  | −38.0
(−36.4)  | −38.1
(−36.6)
Source: [16][17][18]

## Type of precipitation

[edit]

Annual course of temperature at All-Russia Exhibition Centre

Most precipitation in Moscow falls as rain, but in winter months almost all precipitation falls as snow, forming firm snow cover. The last wet snow precipitation may be in the beginning of May, and it may restart at the end of September.

### Snow cover

[edit]

Snow cover (averaging 4–5 months per year) forms at the end of November and melts by the start of April, although in recent years has not lasted as long as usual. [citation needed] For example, in the winter of 2006–2007 the snow cover didn't form until the end of January, and melted at the beginning of March; in 2007–2008, the snow cover melted at the end of February, and in the 2008–2009 winter, snow cover didn't form until the end of December, which is two months later than usual. [citation needed] Yet in 2011–2012 it melted in the middle of April.[citation needed]

month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec

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number of days  | 31  | 28  | 28  | 4  | \-  | \-  | \-  | \-  | \-  | 3  | 16  | 28
height (cm)  | 26  | 35  | 29  | 2  | \-  | \-  | \-  | \-  | \-  | \-  | 3  | 13
max.height (cm)  | 63  | 72  | 78  | 61  | \-  | \-  | \-  | \-  | \-  | 19  | 25  | 45

## Wind

[edit]

### Speed of wind

[edit]

The average wind speed is very high. In the city it is near 5 metres per second; in open places and airports it may top 6 metres per second.

#### Wind Storms and Tornadoes

[edit]

A few times per season, often in the May–September period during thunderstorms, wind speed may exceed 15–35 metres per second. The last powerful wind storm was in 1998, when wind speed was 30–35 metres per second. 157 persons were injured, 8 died, and 2157 buildings were damaged.[19]

Tornadoes were recorded in 1904 and 1945[citation needed] in Moscow and in 1970, 1971, the 1984 Yaroslavl tornado, 1987, 1994, and 1997 in Moscow Oblast 100 km south-east from Moscow (near Zaraysk), in 2005 in Dubna, and on 3 August 2007 in Krasnogorsk.[20]

In the 3 June 2009 tornado, F3[21] registered near Sergiyev Posad, Moscow oblast.[22][23][24]

Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | year

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2.5  | 2.5  | 2.5  | 2.5  | 2.2  | 2.1  | 1.9  | 1.8  | 2.0  | 2.4  | 2.5  | 2.6  | 2.3

## Сloudiness and day light

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Church of the Theotokos of Blachernae in Kuzminki at dawn (03:11 UTC+4, 26 June 2013)

### Number of clear, cloudy and overcast days

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On average Moscow has 1731 hours of sunshine in a year.[25] In 2004–2008, near 1800–2000 hours.[26]

| Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | year

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Clear (sunshine)  | 8  | 9  | 10  | 8  | 11  | 7  | 8  | 10  | 8  | 5  | 3  | 4  | 82
Partial sunshine  | 11  | 10  | 13  | 17  | 16  | 20  | 20  | 17  | 16  | 13  | 9  | 10  | 184
Cloudy (overcast)  | 12  | 9  | 9  | 5  | 4  | 3  | 4  | 4  | 6  | 12  | 18  | 17  | 98

### Daylight, average number of hours/day

[edit]

Duration of daylight depends on geographical position of Moscow. It varies from 7 hours 00 minutes on December 22 to 17 hours 34 minutes on June 22. The maximum height of the sun above the horizon is 11° on 22 December and 58° on 22 June.

Near the day of the summer solstice (June 22), the sun does not fall below −12°, thus the nautical twilight occurs throughout this period. Nevertheless, lighting of the navigational twilight is not enough for normal human activity, so the streets need artificial illumination, and it is believed that there are no so-called white nights in Moscow, although the sky remains dark blue, and not black, as, for example, in southern Russia.

Hours  | Jan (hours)  | Feb (hours)  | Mar (hours)  | Apr (hours)  | May (hours)  | Jun (hours)  | Jul (hours)  | Aug (hours)  | Sep (hours)  | Oct (hours)  | Nov (hours)  | Dec (hours)

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Day  | 7.9  | 9.7  | 11.9  | 14.3  | 16.3  | 17.4  | 16.8  | 14.9  | 12.7  | 10.5  | 8.4  | 7.2
Night  | 16.1  | 14.3  | 12.1  | 9.7  | 7.7  | 6.6  | 7.2  | 9.1  | 11.3  | 13.5  | 15.6  | 16.8

## See also

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Climate of Moscow.

* VVC weather station
* Climate of Russia
* 1904 Moscow tornado
* 1984 Soviet Union tornado outbreak
* 2009 Krasnozavodsk tornado

## References

[edit]

* Calculator (The average air temperature, air rate and deviations from it)

1. ^ "Климат Москвы - Погода и климат".
2. ^ "Moscow, Russia". Weatherbase.
3. ^ "Air temperatures in Moscow beat all records". Archived from the original on 2010-07-28. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
4. ^ "Pogoda.ru.net (data), see article "Средняя (average)"" (in Russian). Retrieved January 8, 2009.
5. ^ "Pogoda.ru.net (data), see article "Минимум (minimum)"" (in Russian). Retrieved January 8, 2009.
6. ^ Средние месячные и годовые температуры воздуха в Москве
7. ^ "Data from weather stations of Moscow region in real time" (in Russian). Retrieved March 25, 2009.
8. ^ "Temperature – Moscow". WeatherOnline. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
9. ^ a b "Pogoda & Climate (Weather & Climate)" (in Russian). Retrieved 29 October 2021.
10. ^ "Climate monitor 2005-2011" (in Russian). Retrieved 29 October 2021.
11. ^ a b "Thermograph.ru averages". Retrieved 12 January 2011.
12. ^ "Average monthly Sunshine hours" (in Russian). Meteoweb.ru. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
13. ^ "Moscow, Russia - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast". Weather Atlas. Yu Media Group. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
14. ^ "Climate monitor 2005-2011" (in Russian). Retrieved 2011-01-12.
15. ^ "Average monthly Sunshine hours" (in Russian). Meteoweb.ru. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
16. ^ "2008 was the warmest year in Moscow history (in Russian)". Retrieved 2009-02-05.[permanent dead link‍]
17. ^ "Pogoda.ru.net" (in Russian). Retrieved January 8, 2009.
18. ^ "August high" (in Russian). Retrieved August 7, 2010.
19. ^ "Hurricanes in regions of Russia 1998-2007" (in Russian). 10 July 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
20. ^ "Meteoweb.ru | Народная метеорология | Красногорский смерч. Наблюдательная программа "Ураган"".
21. ^ http://essl.org/ESWD/ Краснозаводск / Krasnozavodsk Moskva fylke Tornado intensity: F3 T6
22. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: 03062009. YouTube.
23. ^ "Я в шоке! - mutterdu". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
24. ^ "Смерч в Подмосковье - Thumbs up". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
25. ^ "2008 was the warmest year in Moscow history (in Russian)". Retrieved 2009-02-05.[dead link‍]
26. ^ "Sunshine hours in 2007 (in Russian)". Retrieved 2009-02-21.

55°45′0″N 37°37′0″E﻿ / ﻿55.75000°N 37.61667°E﻿ / 55.75000; 37.61667