Climate
Severnaya Zemlya is consistently cold and dry, with a mean annual temperature of −16 °C (3.2 °F), mean annual precipitation of about 420 mm (16.5 in), and generally overcast skies. Monthly average temperature ranges from −29 °C (−20.2 °F) in February to −0.5 °C (31.1 °F) in July. The archipelago sees large temperature fluctuations during winter months, as low-pressure cyclonic activity originating in the North Atlantic make their way across the Arctic, bringing precipitation and higher temperatures. These cyclones are most common in September and October, which see 30% of annual precipitation. Snowfall in summer is common as temperatures hover around 0 °C (32 °F), although higher temperatures occur when warm air masses move north from Siberia. The climate data below, taken from the Golomyanniy Meteorological Station gives an indication of the weather experienced in the archipelago.
| Climate data for Golomyanniy Meteorological Station | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 32 (0) |
30 (−1) |
30 (−1) |
33 (1) |
39 (4) |
57 (14) |
50 (10) |
48 (9) |
37 (3) |
32 (0) |
32 (0) |
32 (0) |
57 (14) |
| Average high °F (°C) | −13 (−25) |
−14 (−26) |
−11 (−24) |
0 (−18) |
17 (−8) |
31 (−1) |
35 (2) |
34 (1) |
26 (−3) |
10 (−12) |
−2 (−19) |
−9 (−23) |
8 (−13) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | −16 (−27) |
−18 (−28) |
−16 (−27) |
−4 (−20) |
14 (−10) |
28 (−2) |
33 (1) |
32 (0) |
24 (−4) |
6 (−14) |
−7 (−22) |
−13 (−25) |
5 (−15) |
| Average low °F (°C) | −23 (−31) |
−23 (−31) |
−22 (−30) |
−9 (−23) |
10 (−12) |
26 (−3) |
32 (0) |
30 (−1) |
21 (−6) |
1 (−17) |
−13 (−25) |
−18 (−28) |
1 (−17) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −50 (−46) |
−47 (−44) |
−50 (−46) |
−41 (−41) |
−11 (−24) |
8 (−13) |
24 (−4) |
12 (−11) |
−5 (−21) |
−31 (−35) |
−45 (−43) |
−47 (−44) |
−50 (−46) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 14 | 15 | 202 |
| Avg. rainy days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Avg. snowy days | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 20 | 14 | 15 | 180 |
| Source: Weather Reports | |||||||||||||
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