Aktau in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Aktau sees average daytime highs around 4°C and overnight lows near -2°C, with 39 mm of precipitation over about 11 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 2nd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 4°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Aktau's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Aktau's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 4°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- -2°C
- Precipitation
- 39 mm
- 11 wet days
- Avg wind
- 19 km/h
- Travel score
- 0.1
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Aktau in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 4°C.
A typical winter day in Aktau reaches about 4°C and drops to -2°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Aktau
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 90 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in winter is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Aktau weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3° / -3° | 14 | 4 | 2.7 | 9.1 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 4° / -3° | 10 | 3 | 1.9 | 10.2 | 0.1 |
| Mar | 10° / 2° | 16 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 11.6 | 2.6 |
| Apr | 17° / 8° | 19 | 3.7 | 0 | 13.2 | 6.2 |
| May | 24° / 15° | 16 | 3.8 | 0 | 14.5 | 8.0 |
| Jun | 30° / 20° | 12 | 2.7 | 0 | 15.2 | 6.4 |
| Jul | 33° / 23° | 10 | 2.3 | 0 | 14.9 | 4.6 |
| Aug | 32° / 22° | 8 | 1.8 | 0 | 13.8 | 5.2 |
| Sep | 26° / 16° | 10 | 2.4 | 0 | 12.3 | 8.2 |
| Oct | 18° / 9° | 13 | 3.1 | 0 | 10.8 | 6.8 |
| Nov | 10° / 3° | 16 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 9.5 | 2.4 |
| Dec | 4° / -1° | 16 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 8.8 | 0.1 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Aktau gets around 39 mm of rain and snow over 11 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 19 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 9 hours in early December to 10 h 48 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 1.8 kWh/m².
Is winter a good time to visit Aktau?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Aktau.
What to pack for Aktau in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Aktau sees daytime highs around 4°C and nights near -2°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 11 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Aktau in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 8°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 24°C and coldest in February near 7°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 15 to Sep 22 — about 3.3 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 10 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Bracing |
| Feb | 7 | Bracing |
| Mar | 7 | Bracing |
| Apr | 9 | Bracing |
| May | 15 | Bracing |
| Jun | 20 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 24 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 24 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 21 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 17 | Cool |
| Nov | 13 | Bracing |
| Dec | 10 | Bracing |
UV index in Aktau in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Aktau peaks around July 19 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Level | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | Low |
| Feb | 2 | Moderate |
| Mar | 3 | Moderate |
| Apr | 4 | Moderate |
| May | 7 | High |
| Jun | 7 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 5 | High |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2 | Low |
| Dec | 1 | Low |
Air quality in Aktau in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Aktau is worst in March — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (July, 14 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 15 | 19 | 32 | 24 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 20 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Moderate |
| Feb | 19 | Moderate |
| Mar | 32 | Moderate |
| Apr | 24 | Moderate |
| May | 19 | Moderate |
| Jun | 15 | Moderate |
| Jul | 14 | Moderate |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 27 | Moderate |
| Oct | 28 | Moderate |
| Nov | 28 | Moderate |
| Dec | 20 | Moderate |
Where is Aktau?
Aktau sits at 43.7°N, 51.2°E, 16 m above sea level, in Kazakhstan. The nearest listed city is Mangistau, 12 km away.
Topography around Aktau
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Aktau.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Aktau has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 60 m around an average of 1 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 89 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 532 m.
The land around Aktau is covered by artificial surfaces (83%) within 3 km, water (48%) and bare terrain (26%) within 16 km, and water (49%), grassland (27%) and bare terrain (24%) within 80 km.
Kazakhstan travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type C / F
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 33% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $14,692
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.6 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 92%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 2.6
- per 100k, 2022
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 417
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Aktau (43.6611°, 51.1739°, elevation 16 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.