Continental climate is a climate that is characterized by winter temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of snow cover each year , and relatively moderate precipitation occurring mostly in summer . Continental climate is a climate that is characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby . Often winter temperature is cold enough to support a fixed period of snow each year , and relatively moderate precipitation occurring mostly in summer , although there are exceptions like the east coast areas of North America which show an even distribution of precipitationâ '' this pattern is called Humid continental climate , but dry continental climates also exist .