Climate in Oskemen (Kazakhstan)

The climate of Oskemen is continental (according to the Köppen classification, humid continental climate with warm summers - Dfb), with very cold winters and warm summers.
Oskemen (or Ust-Kamenogorsk), is a city of 400,000 inhabitants located in the north-east of Kazakhstan, at the confluence of the Ulba and Irtysh rivers, in the region (oblys) of East Kazakhstan, of which it is the capital, at 290 meters (950 feet) above sea level and at 50 degrees north latitude.
East of the city is the westernmost part of the Altai Mountains. Mount Belucha, 4,505 meters (14,780 ft) high, is located 280 km (175 mi) from Oskemen, on the border with Russia.

Precipitation is not abundant, amounting to about 480 millimeters (19 inches) per year, however, due to the proximity of the mountains, it is more abundant than in most of Kazakhstan (excluding the mountainous areas).

Winter, from November to March, is very cold. The average temperature in January is around -15 °C (5 °F). There are sunny periods, but also periods when the sky is cloudy, and light snow falls.
The ground is usually covered in snow starting from mid-November. However, since precipitation is quite scarce, snowfall is generally not abundant.
During cold waves, the temperature drops to -30 °C (-22 °F) or below every year, and once every few years (in the past more often) below -40 °C (-40 °F).
The record is -49 °C (-56.2 °F), set in January 1931.
January 1969 was the coldest month, with a monthly daily average of -30 °C (-22 °F).

Summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny, although with fairly frequent rains and thunderstorms. The average in July is around 21 °C (70 °F). The difference in temperature between night and day is often significant, so nights can be cool.
Sometimes there can be heat waves, during which the temperature can exceed 35 °C (95 °F). The record is 42.8 °C (109.4 °F), set in August 1988.

Oskemen - Climate data

In Oskemen, the average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of -15.6 °C (4 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 20.8 °C (69.4 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Precipitation amounts to 480 millimeters (18.9 inches) per year: it is therefore quite scarce. It ranges from 26.1 mm (1 in) in the driest month (February) to 63.5 mm (2.5 in) in the wettest one (July). Here is the average precipitation.