Tourism in Russia > Kamchatka > Geography of Kamchatka

Climate of Kamchatka

The climate here is determined by the proximity of giant bodies of water: the cold currents of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea prevent drastic yearly temperature fluctuations.

The coastal areas feature a relatively mild climate. The winters here are not severe and the average summer temperatures slay within the +1 2 +15°C (53 to 59°F) range. However, some days the air heats up to +25 +30"C (77 to 86°F). Night temperatures along river banks can drop to +5 +8"C (41 to 46°F). Summers in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are often rainy with fog forming in the evenings. In the winter the temperatures can drop below -8 -10°C (17 to 14°F). During snowstorms the temperature stays between 0 to +1 °C (32 to 34°F). The end of January and the beginning of February are usually the coldest, with temperatures dropping to -20°C (-4°F).

The northern and central parts of the peninsula feature a continental climate; it is influenced by the proximity to the Asian continent and by the fact that the mountain ranges protect the area from the seas. Summers here are shorter and winters tend to last longer than in the coastal areas.

Kamchatka's location in the zone of intense weather patterns is responsible for yet another of its characteristic features - strong winds. Weather systems bring plentiful precipitation, especially to the southern part of the peninsula that gets up to 1,200 mm (47 inches) per year.