Analysis of long‐term trends in tree‐ring growth in Siberian larch near the northern treeline in the Polar Urals and in Turkestan juniper near the altitudinal treeline in the Southern Tyan'‐Shan’, in summer ablation on the IGAN Glacier in the Polar Urals and in glaciers in the mountains of Soviet Central Asia, and in mean patterns of atmospheric pressure and circulation reveal extremely interesting correlations. Thus, for example, years with unusually great tree‐ring growth in Siberian larch in the Polar Urals correlate with high frequency of occurrence of low‐pressure systems over the Kara Sea which result in a warm, relatively dry air flow over the Polar Urals, resulting in heavy ablation on the IGAN Glacier; these conditions also correlate with an “open”; navigation season, in terms of sea ice, in the Kara Sea. By contrast years with limited tree growth correlate with a predominance of pressure systems giving rise to northerly winds, heavy cloud cover and heavy summer snowfall, resulting in reduced ablation on the glaciers of the Polar Urals; these conditions also correlate with more severe navigation conditions (due to ice) in the Kara Sea. Similar correlations are demonstrated in connection with the patterns of tree‐ring growth, pressure patterns and glacier mass balances in the Southern Tyan'‐Shan’.