In summer, the high pressure belts of the subtropics drift northwards in the Northern Hemisphere (during May to August), southwards in the Southern Hemisphere (during November to February). They are coincident with substantially higher temperatures and little rainfall. During the winter, the high-pressure belts drift back towards the equator, and the weather becomes more dominated by the rain-bearing low-pressure depressions. Whilst usually mild, such areas can experience cold snaps when exposed to the icy winds of the large continental interiors, where temperatures can drop to -40?C in the extreme continental climates.