Climate

Turkmenistan has a subtropical desert climate that is severely continental. Summers are long (from May through September), hot, and dry, while winters generally are mild and dry, although occasionally cold and damp in the north.

Most precipitation falls between January and May; precipitation is slight throughout the country, with annual averages ranging from 30 cm in the Kopet Dag to 8 cm in the northwest. The capital, Ashgabat, close to the Iranian border in south-central Turkmenistan, averages 22.5 cm of rainfall annually.

Annual temperatures in Ashgabat range from highs of 46°C in summer and -5°C (23°F) in winter, although it has been known to reach as low as -22°C (-8°F). Temperatures in the desert in summer can reach 50°C (122°F) during the day before falling rapidly at night. During the winter, it can reach -10° to -15°C (14° to 15°F). The almost constant winds are northerly, northeasterly or westerly.