Steppe and Continental Grassland Climates

Steppe climate (Köppen BSk, cold semi-arid) occupies the transitional zone between fully humid climates and true deserts, typically found deep in continental interiors far from moisture-bearing ocean winds, or in the rain shadow of major mountain ranges, and characterized by annual precipitation generally in the range of 250 to 500 millimeters — enough to support grassland but too little to sustain forest without irrigation or unusually favorable soil moisture conditions. The "k" in BSk designates a cold variant with a mean annual temperature below 18°C, distinguishing it from the hot steppe (BSh) of lower latitudes, and steppe climates worldwide show the pronounced seasonal temperature swings characteristic of continentality, with cold, often snow-covered winters and hot, dry summers.