Winter in Azerbaijan is coldest in the mountains while temperatures across the central plains remain just above freezing. The Caucasus Mountain Range in the north partially protects the country from cold air from Russia. Light snowfall and frost can be expected on the coast and sunshine is rare in the capital. To the south, heavy snow falls along the Talysh Range, which turns into rain and continues to fall until March. Temperatures in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republican follow a continental pattern and can easily fall to -4F/-20C.