Severnaya Zemlya Firnley Islands. Severnaya Zemlya is consistently cold and quite dry, with a mean annual temperature of , mean annual precipitation of about , and generally overcast skies. Monthly average temperature ranges from in February to in July. The archipelago sees large temperature fluctuations during winter months, as low-pressure cyclonic activity originating in the North Atlantic make their way across the Arctic, bringing precipitation and higher temperatures. These cyclones are most common in September and October, which see 30% of annual precipitation. Snowfall in summer is common as temperatures hover around , although higher temperatures occur when warm air masses move
Severnaya Zemlya to a survey of prior observations by De Korte, Volkov, and Gavrilo, thirty-two bird species have been observed on Severnaya Zemlya, 17 of which are known to breed on the islands. Eight species are widespread across the archipelago: five of which are colonial seabirds: little auk ("Alle alle"), black-legged kittiwake ("Rissa tridactyla"), black guillemot ("Cepphus grylle"), ivory gull ("Pagophila eburnea"), and glaucous gull ("Larus hyperboreus"); and three species of tundra bird: the snow bunting ("Plectrophenax nivalis"), purple sandpiper ("Calidris maritima"), and brent goose ("Branta bernicla"). The most common mammal on Severnaya Zemlya is the collared lemming ("Dicrostonyx torquatus"), also known