Astana’s brutal winter and how the city adapts

Imagine a city where winter stretches for half the year. Where temperatures slip well below –30°C and a cutting wind keeps reminding you that this is the north. This is Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan and one of the coldest capitals in the world. Yet despite the deep freeze and drifting snow, the city doesn’t just endure—it grows, adapts and, more often than expected, surprises.

A real winter

Astana sits in the heart of the vast Kazakh steppe. The climate is severe: summers are short, winters long and very cold. In January, the average temperature hovers around –12°C, but –30°C is not uncommon, especially in January and February. In 2024, the cold bit hard again, with low temperatures holding for most of the season.

Add strong winds and dry air, and it’s clear why winter here feels especially unforgiving. The days are often sunny, which brightens the picture a little—but doesn’t tame the cold.

How the city copes

When Astana became the capital in 1997, the city had to figure out fast how to function in this climate. It built a powerful heating system, reliable water supply and robust energy infrastructure—everything needed to keep the city from freezing in winter.

As the city expanded, new challenges emerged. Scientific studies note that intensive construction has reduced greenery and water bodies. That harms the environment and makes the local climate even harsher.

To counter this, Astana has been creating a “green belt,” planting trees around the city. The idea is to tame the wind, improve air quality and slightly soften the climate. The project is viewed as one of the region’s key climate-resilience initiatives.

What the country is doing

The cold is not just one city’s problem. In 2024, Kazakhstan launched a project that formally recognized how climate influences the country’s development—and that it needs to be addressed. The goal is to factor weather risks into planning for the future.

And in 2026, Astana will host an important climate summit: countries of Central Asia will gather to discuss how to respond to weather-related challenges. In other words, Astana is not only tackling its own issues but also positioning itself as an example for others.

Why move the capital there at all?

People sometimes ask why a capital would be placed in such a cold spot. The reasoning lies in politics and strategy. Astana is closer to the country’s geographic center, making it convenient to build roads and develop new regions. The trade-off is obvious: severe frosts and high costs for heating and infrastructure.

The city is managing, but each year the task becomes harder. Weather patterns are shifting, winters are less predictable, and the strain on utilities is growing.

What Astana can teach us

Astana is not just a capital; it’s a place where living in tough conditions is a daily craft. The city tests new approaches to construction, urban greening and resource management. It’s far from perfect, but much has already been achieved.

If climate change brings more frequent extremes, Astana’s experience could prove useful well beyond its borders.

Astana isn’t merely a snowy dot on the map. It’s a place where people beat the cold day after day, raise buildings, plant trees and find solutions where life might seem impossible.