Climate zones in Ukraine, 1991 to 2020
Share of Ukraine's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,014,757 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 569,566 km²).
By major group: D (cold (continental)) 99%, C (temperate) 0.6%, B (arid) 0.1%.
Dfb, warm-summer humid continental, is the main climate of Ukraine, covering 61% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Dfa (hot-summer humid continental) next at 38%. In plain terms, warm-summer humid continental means warm summers and cold, snowy winters, with rain all year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 68% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Dfa (hot-summer humid continental). The most common zone would then be Dfa (hot-summer humid continental).
How Ukraine's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 28% | 1% | Dfa +26.6 percentage points | Dfb -26.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 32% | 5.9% | Dfa +20.3 percentage points | Dfb -25.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 68% | 22% | Dfa +32.5 percentage points | Dfb -53.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 98% | 95% | Cfa +83.8 percentage points | Dfb -59.5 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 88% | 61% | 36% | 7.8% | 1.7% |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | 11% | 38% | 58% | 70% | 2.8% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.1% | - | - |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | - | 0.6% | 5.9% | 20% | 84% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 2.4% | 11% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Ukraine and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Kyiv | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Kharkiv | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Odesa | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Dnipro | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Donetsk | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Lviv | Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Zaporizhzhya | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
| Kryvyy Rih | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | Dfa Hot-summer humid continental |
Zones found in Ukraine
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Dfb. See data sources and licences.