Samara sits on the east bank of the Volga in southeastern European Russia, on the steppe frontier at approximately 53.20°N, 50.15°E. Its inland, southerly position gives it a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb/Dfa) — with hot summers and cold winters — drier and warmer in summer than Moscow, on the edge of the arid steppe.

Summer, from June to August, is hot and comparatively dry, with July the warmest month — average highs around 26–27°C — and heatwaves that can exceed 37°C when the sukhovey, a hot, dry steppe wind, blows in from the southeast, wilting the crops. Thunderstorms bring most of the year's rain, but drought is a recurring risk.

Winter, from November to March, is cold and snowy, with January and February the coldest — average highs around -8°C and lows near -14°C, and cold snaps below -30°C. The buran, a bitter wind bringing blizzards off the steppe, sweeps the region, and the Volga freezes solid for months.

Samara receives around 480–530 mm of precipitation a year, with a summer maximum from thunderstorms; its position on the steppe frontier makes it drier than central Russia, and summer drought is a chronic problem. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Samara sits on the frontier of the Russian steppe, where two opposing winds define the year: the sukhovey, a searing, desiccating summer wind that can devastate crops, and the buran, the bitterly cold winter wind that drives blizzards across the open plain.

To follow any single measurement in Samara more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.