England has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round, it has a more mild climate than places at similar latitudes, for example Newfoundland in Canada, or Sakhalin in Russia. The seasons are quite variable in temperature, however temperatures rarely fall below −5 °C (23 °F) or rise above 30 °C (86 °F). The prevailing wind is from the south-west, bringing mild and wet weather to England regularly from the Atlantic Ocean. It is driest in the east and warmest in the south, which is closest to the European mainland. Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, although it is not very common away from high ground.