itation ▁The ▁high ▁mountain ous ▁areas ▁of ▁Europe ▁are ▁col der ▁and ▁have ▁higher ▁precip itation ▁than ▁lower ▁areas , ▁as ▁is ▁true ▁of ▁mountain ous ▁areas ▁in ▁general . ▁Europe ▁has ▁less ▁precip itation ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁than ▁in ▁central ▁and ▁western ▁Europe . ▁The ▁temperature ▁difference ▁between ▁summer ▁and ▁winter ▁gradually ▁increases ▁from ▁coast al ▁north west ▁Europe ▁to ▁sout heast ▁in land ▁Europe , ▁r anging ▁from ▁Ireland , ▁with ▁a ▁temperature ▁difference ▁of ▁only ▁ 1 0   ° C ▁from ▁the ▁warm est ▁to ▁the ▁col dest ▁month , ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁C asp ian ▁Sea , ▁with ▁a ▁temperature ▁difference ▁of ▁ 4 0   ° C . ▁January ▁average ▁range ▁from ▁ 1 3   ° C ▁in ▁southern ▁Spain ▁and ▁southern ▁Greek ▁islands ▁to ▁- 2 0   ° C ▁in ▁the ▁n ort he astern ▁part ▁of ▁European ▁Russia . ▁Des ert ▁clim ates ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁European ▁portion ▁of ▁Kaz akh stan ▁and ▁South ▁Eastern ▁Spain . ▁ ▁Western ▁Europe ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁Central ▁Europe ▁generally ▁fall ▁into ▁the ▁temper ate ▁mar itime ▁climate ▁( C fb ), ▁the ▁southern ▁part ▁is ▁mostly ▁a ▁Mediter rane an ▁climate ▁( most ly ▁C sa , ▁smaller ▁area ▁with ▁C sb ), ▁the ▁north - central ▁part ▁and ▁east ▁into ▁central ▁Russia ▁is ▁mostly ▁a ▁hum id ▁contin ental ▁climate ▁( D fb ) ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁continent ▁is ▁a ▁sub ar ctic ▁climate ▁( D fc ).