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How do the Western Steppe and Eastern Steppe differ in climate?

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Map showing the extent of the Eurasian steppes, highlighted in green, stretching from eastern Europe through Ukraine and southern Russia, across Kazakhstan, and into Mongolia and northern China. The map labels the Western Steppe and Eastern Steppe regions and includes major geographic features, countries, and ancient sites within the steppe zone. — the Steppe Extent of the Eurasian steppes.

The Eurasian Steppe is divided into two major segments, the Western Steppe and the Eastern Steppe, which differ significantly in their climatic conditions.

Both regions experience hot summers and cold winters, but the Eastern Steppe is characterized as higher, colder, and drier than the Western Steppe. The Eastern Steppe exhibits greater seasonal temperature extremes than anywhere else on Earth.1

In the Western Steppe, temperatures are slightly milder, though they become more extreme toward the east. A critical climatic difference is precipitation: rainfall in the Western Steppe diminishes as it moves eastward because rain-bearing winds from the Atlantic become increasingly erratic beyond the Don River. Consequently, the Western Steppe receives more moisture, making it richer natural pastureland compared to the harsher, drier environment of the Eastern Steppe. However, in the Eastern Steppe, lower temperatures help counteract the lack of precipitation by reducing evaporation, which allows sparse grass to grow seasonally.1