Best: Jul · Great: May-Jun, Aug-Sep
Weather shifts through genuine seasons here, from January's cool stretch to July's warmth, with rain a little heavier around June and lighter around January — real variation, but nothing as sharp as a true monsoon or Mediterranean dry season. In July, expect highs around 26°C with rain on roughly 10 days of the month.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is the classic way to experience the region, with stops in Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city, and Irkutsk, gateway to Lake Baikal — the world's deepest and oldest freshwater lake, ringed by hiking trails and, in winter, a frozen expanse thick enough to drive on.
Expect hearty Siberian fare — pelmeni (meat dumplings), smoked Baikal fish, and plenty of tea to fend off the cold.
Daylight, sunrise, and sunset are calculated exactly from this region's latitude. Temperature and rainfall are modeled from its general climate type, not measured station data. Month summaries are generated from those modeled figures.
Expect cold days around -12°/-21°C, with occasional rain (~5 rainy days).
Expect cold days around -9°/-18°C, with occasional rain (~5 rainy days).
Expect cold days around -1°/-10°C, with occasional rain (~6 rainy days).
Expect cool days around 9°/-1°C, with occasional rain (~7 rainy days).
Expect mild days around 18°/6°C, with occasional rain (~9 rainy days).
Expect mild days around 23°/12°C, with frequent rain (~11 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 26°/14°C, with frequent rain (~10 rainy days).
Expect mild days around 23°/12°C, with occasional rain (~9 rainy days).
Expect mild days around 16°/6°C, with occasional rain (~8 rainy days).
Expect cool days around 6°/-1°C, with occasional rain (~8 rainy days).
Expect cold days around -4°/-10°C, with occasional rain (~7 rainy days).
Expect cold days around -10°/-18°C, with occasional rain (~6 rainy days).