Weather locations in Belarus

Belarus lies in the lowlands of the East European Plain between about 51°N and 56°N, with the Baltic states to the north-west, Poland to the west, Russia to the east and Ukraine to the south. It has no coast, so nothing moderates the air within a thousand kilometres, though its slightly western position keeps the climate continental rather than severe. The land is low and flat, rising gently to the Belorussian Upland, and the weather follows that simplicity: snowy winters and warm, rain-bearing summers.

Main climate types

Nearly all of the country is humid continental climate, with the mild subtype in the west and the colder subtype in the north-east around Vitebsk. A narrow strip on the Baltic watershed in the north-west trends more maritime, and the marshes of Polesia in the south behave like a damp, closed basin. There is no highland climate, since the highest point is only about 350 metres.

Temperatures

Minsk averages about minus 6 °C in January and about 18 °C in July, and that contrast between the coldest and warmest month is the hallmark of the climate. January means fall to near minus 8 °C in the north-east and rise to about minus 4 °C in the south-west. Summer days usually reach the high 20s °C, while summer nights drop to about 12 °C.

Rainfall

Annual totals are moderate, about 680 mm at Minsk and slightly more in the west, spread evenly through the year with a peak in July and August and a low in February. Around a quarter of the fall arrives as snow, and cover typically lasts from late November to late March. Humidity stays high in the cold months, and summer droughts are a known risk for the grain harvest.

When to go

The warm months from June to September are best for most visitors, when days sit in the low to mid 20s °C. Late May and June can be wet and unsettled. Winter, from January to early March, suits those who want snow, though the days are short and temperatures often below minus 10 °C.