Moscow Weather

Whilst a blanket of snow covering the Red Square with the Kremlin in the foreground will always be a postcard favourite, it might come as a surprise to many that average high temperatures in Moscow for four full months in Spring and Summer range from 18 °C to 23 °C (64 °F to 64 °F). This means that the weather in Moscow, classified as a humid continental climate, goes from the extremes of -20s °C in the deepest part of winter to +30s °C during heat waves in summer.

The best time to visit the Moscow really depends on what you are after.

May and June are especially colourful with flowering trees showing off in full bloom. Moscow during this time is also groomed for the May holidays. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with long hours of sunlight and when many Muscovites escape the city to their Dacha - a holiday home in the countryside. Early autumn in September and early October are also blessed with fine weather and filled with colourful country scenery before the fall. Moscow is especially dressed to its best during the popular Moscow City Day on the first weekend of September.

The enduring six months from November to April are Moscow’s colder part of the year, with less daylight and longer nights. The harshest part of winter is from mid-December to mid-February when the average Moscow weather is below zero and evenings usually flirt with below -10 °C temperatures. Then again, this is not Siberia and nothing that some thick warm clothing and a couple of shots of vodka will not solve!

Winter is the time to visit a snow packet Moscow reminiscent of Doctor Zhivago and when Russians celebrate their New Year in style with five days of national holidays and celebration, followed by Christmas Day which falls on the second week of January in Russia. The cultural life also tends to be much more active in winter as Muscovites are usually looking for various forms of indoor entertainment.