The climate of the Orenburg region has a pronounced continentality and is completely dependent on the geographical location. Due to the considerable distance from the ocean, the softening effect of sea air masses is absent here. We will tell about all the climatic features of the region in the article.
Temperature fluctuations
The continental climate of the Orenburg region determines the strong heating of the earth's surface during the day and in the warm season, and therefore the summer in the region can be very hot, with droughts and dry winds. In turn, the rapid and strong cooling of the mainland at night and during the cold season makes winters here very severe, with strong blizzards and snowstorms. There are high absolute amplitudes of fluctuations in temperature indicators, reaching 85-89 degrees.
Precipitation
Precipitation is unevenly distributed over the territory, they decrease from the northwestern part to the southeastern. Max level,which is observed on Mount Nakas - the highest point of the Orenburg region, is 550 millimeters per year. Summer has the highest annual rainfall. These are mainly torrential thunderstorms, which, due to high temperatures, are practically not absorbed into the ground and evaporate immediately. In this regard, there is a strong aridity of the climate of the Orenburg region. According to long-term observations, over the past hundred years, severe droughts in the south of the region have occurred once every three years.
Warm time
The hottest month is July with average temperatures of +21..+22 °C. Some days it can be very hot, the thermometer can show up to +40°C. Severe droughts due to prolonged lack of rain are sometimes accompanied by dust storms and dry winds. The climatic features of the Orenburg region are such that the duration of summer here is 4.5 months. It is still warm in the first half of autumn, but there is a noticeable cooling at night.
Cold time
From mid-October, a sharp drop in temperatures begins, winter sets in, which lasts until the end of March. Snowfalls, blizzards and snowstorms with strong gusts of wind - this is the climate in the Orenburg region in winter. The thickness of the snow cover can sometimes reach 110 cm. The soils freeze to a depth of more than 1 meter. Both winter rains and thaws are possible under the influence of passing western and southern cyclones, as well as 40-degree frosts brought by Siberian anticyclones.
The average monthly temperature in January ranges from -11 to -14 °С, and the maximumfrost can reach -50 °C. A short spring in the territory is accompanied by late frosts and sudden temperature changes from +15 degrees during the day to -12 at night. Snow lies until April, when, as a result of significant warming, its rapid melting begins, leading to strong floods of rivers and streams. The spring flood period can be 15 days with high snow cover.
Wind and solar activity
Winds blow almost constantly on the territory of the region, the direction and speed of which are very variable. There are only 45 windless days a year. East and southwest winds prevailing in winter can reach speeds of up to 30 m/s, forming strong snow blizzards - snowstorms, typical for the steppes of the Orenburg region. In summer, east and west winds blow with an average speed of no more than 4 m/s.
Also, the climate in the Orenburg region is influenced by solar radiation. Its greatest number is observed in the south in June and July. In total, there are 292 clear days per year, averaging 2,198 hours of sunshine.
