Luxembourg has a small, temperate climate with mainly oceanic characteristics and some continental influence. The country is compact, so regional climate differences are limited, but the north is generally cooler and wetter than the south. Current reference sources describe Luxembourg as having a mild climate with considerable precipitation, and climate summaries note that summers are warm but not extreme while winters are cold, cloudy, and often wet rather than severely snowy. For residents and expats, this usually means comfortable spring and autumn seasons, warm summers, and winters that feel damp and chilly more often than severely cold.