Owing to its vast size and the fact that most of Russia's territory is far removed from any ocean, the climate throughout the country is extremely continental, with distinct periods of warm and cold weather.
 
The continentality of Russia's climate increases as one travels east, with average temperature differences between the warmest (July) and coldest (January) periods in Eastern Siberia, for example, varying as much as 65 degrees Celsius. There is, however, much variation in climate based on latitude and physical geography.
 
Temperatures for Moscow and St. Petersburg range from highs of round +32C in the summer to lows round  - 25C in the winter. In Moscow the first snow often falls in mid October, St. Petersburg has a milder climate due to the proximity of the Baltic Sea and the first snow usually falls in November.