Weather and climate in Russia
The landscape of Russia is impacted greatly by its climate. In particular, temperature extremes characterize Russia’s weather. Low winter temperatures have a tremendous impact on basic physical processes and human activities. Extremes in temperature and low annual precipitation are a direct result of Russia’s high latitudinal position and of its location in the northern part of Asia, the world’s largest landmass.
Due to its northern latitude, Russia is the coldest country on Earth. The majority of Russia is composed of vast plains, with the exception of the southern part of the country, which is quite mountainous along the borders with Kazakhstan and Turkey.
Russia’s weather and climate are so severe that scientists have devoted much time to studying them. One Russian geographer-scientist was Vladimir Köppen. He is considered the “father of modern climatology,” the study of climates. Born in Russia in 1846, Köppen became deeply interested in the climate of the steppes. The steppes are vast grasslands that extend almost all the way across the country. In St. Petersburg, where he did his research, he created the first world map of temperature belts in 1884. Scientists throughout the world were soon using this map. In 1900, Köppen created a system to classify climates. Köppen was also a biogeographer. He studied the influence of weather and climate upon the distribution of plants. His background led him to create a classification that was, in part, a descriptive vegetation region system. He used the letters A, B, C, D, and E to identify his climates.
Köppen’s Major Climatic Regions
A tropical rainy climates (forests); not found in Russia
B dry climates
BW for wasteland or deserts
BS for grasslands or steppe
C midlatitude rainy climates with mild winters (deciduous forests)
D midlatitude rainy climates with cold winters (evergreen forests)
ET polar tundra climates (moss, lichens, or ice)
Köppen wrote that weather changes from day to day, but that climate changes very slowly. Climate, according to Köppen, describes and integrates the averages, totals, and extremes of weather over long periods of time. The two most important climatic factors are temperature and precipitation.