Central Asia
A continental climate makes Central Asia's seasonal contrasts extreme. In spring (March–May), seas of flowers spread across the steppe; Navruz (late March) is the New Year of the whole region, and apricot blossoms and wild tulips cover the Tien Shan foothills. Summers are hot — cities are best experienced in the early morning and at dusk — and this is exactly the time to head up: the lakes and pastures of the Tien Shan and the Pamirs enter their best season. Autumn (September–October) is the season of melons and fruits and golden poplars, and when the Silk Road cities are at their most mellow. Winters are bitterly cold and snowy, and the ski fields around Almaty and Bishkek are Central Asia's own winter romance.
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