Kazakhstan Weather

Kazakhstan, located in Central Asia, covers an area of 2.7 million square kilometres and is a huge country with a wide range of climatic conditions. The weather can vary greatly depending on the region and time of year. In general, Kazakhstan has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters.

It’s always a good idea to check a reliable weather forecast closer to your intended date of travel and to take into account the specific region of Kazakhstan you plan to visit, as conditions can vary greatly across the country.

Climate zones: Kazakhstan has several climate zones, including continental, semi-arid and arid.

Temperature: Summers can be hot, with temperatures exceeding 30°C (86°F) in many regions, especially in the south. Winters are usually cold, with temperatures dropping well below zero, especially in the northern and central parts of the country.

Rainfall: Rainfall patterns vary throughout the country. The western parts tend to be drier, while the northern and eastern regions receive more rainfall. Annual rainfall is generally low, with most falling during the summer months.

Snowfall: Snowfall is common in winter in many areas, especially in the northern and mountainous regions. Snow can accumulate in large quantities, especially at higher altitudes.

Wind: Wind is another notable aspect of the weather in Kazakhstan, especially in the steppe regions where strong winds can blow, especially during the spring and autumn seasons.

Extreme climatic conditions: Kazakhstan can experience extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and periodic severe winters.

Regional differences: Remember that there are regional differences in weather and climate due to the country’s vast size and varied geography. For example, the climate in mountainous areas can be very different from the climate in the plains. Most of Kazakhstan’s territory is flat or hilly, with the lowlands making up a third of the country’s total area and the low mountains another fifth.

Exceptions to this topography are the very low-lying areas near the Caspian Sea in the west and the Altai Mountains, which reach an altitude of 7,000 metres on the eastern border with China and Kyrgyzstan. Kazakhstan has a distinct continental climate with long, hot summers and cold winters. Winter in the north of the country is long and cold – in some years the temperature has reached -52°C (Nur-Sultan), but there are also thaws of up to 5°C.

The shortest season in the north is spring, which lasts 1.5 months, summer – 3 months and winter – from October to April. Snow usually falls in November, but can last until April.

Due to its distance from the sea, Kazakhstan has a very continental climate with large daily and annual temperature variations. This means that temperatures in the winter months (December to February) are extremely low, with a national average of -9°C to -12°C, and summers are hot, with average temperatures of 22°C to -23°C in July and August. C. in July and August. Rainfall is low throughout the year, with average monthly amounts ranging from 14 millimetres (mm) to 30 mm, although flooding can occur in spring due to increased rainfall and melting winter snow.

Temperatures throughout the year vary according to the latitude of Kazakhstan: northern regions have significantly lower winter temperatures than southern regions, while southern regions have relatively hot summers. This means that in January and February temperatures in the capital (Astana, in the north of the country) can drop to -16°C, while in the most populous city (Almaty, in the south-east) average temperatures remain above -16°C. 7. Similarly, average temperatures in July can range from 20°C in parts of the north and northeast to 29°C in southern areas near the border with Uzbekistan.