kyrgyzstan
The country's climate is
mostly influenced by the mountains, Kyrgyzstan's location near
the middle of the Eurasian landmass, and the absence of any body
of water large enough to influence weather patterns. Those
factors create a continental climate that has significant local
variations. Although the mountains tend to collect clouds and
block sunlight (reducing some narrow valleys at certain times of
year to no more than three or four hours of sunlight per day),
the country is generally sunny, receiving as much as 2,900 hours
of sunlight per year in some areas. The same conditions also
affect temperatures, which can vary significantly from place to
place. In January the warmest average temperature (−4 °C /
25 °F) occurs around the southern city of Osh, and around
Ysyk-Köl. The latter, which has a volume of 1,738 cubic
kilometers (417 cu mi), does not freeze in winter. Indeed, its
name means "hot lake" in Kyrgyz. The coldest temperatures are in
mountain valleys. There, readings can fall to −30 °C (−22 °F) or
lower; the record is −53.6 °C (−64.5 °F). The average
temperature for July similarly varies from 27 °C (80.6 °F) in
the Fergana Valley, where the record high is 44 °C (111 °F), to
a low of −10 °C(14 °F) on the highest mountain peaks.
Precipitation varies from 2,000 millimeters (78.7 in) per year
in the mountains above the Fergana Valley to less than 100
millimeters (3.9 in) per year on the west bank of Ysyk-Kol.