Donetsk weather in December

In December, Donetsk sees average daytime highs of -0°C and overnight lows near -5°C, with 42 mm of precipitation across 8.6 wet days and about 8.2 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 1°C in the first days to -1°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 24 min at the start of December to 8 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Donetsk's 12th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Donetsk's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-0°
10th warmest
Overnight low
-5°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
42 mm
8.6 wet days
Daylight
8 h 06 min
8:12 AM – 4:20 PM
Cloud cover
86%
12th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
0.77 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Donetsk is town in Rostov Oblast, Russia.

Density
454/km²
people per km²
Founded
1681

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 1°C in the first days to -1°C by the end.

A typical December day in Donetsk reaches about -0°C in the afternoon and slips back to -5°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -8°C and 6°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11-3
21-3
31-4
41-4
51-4
61-4
71-4
80-4
90-4
100-5
110-5
120-5
130-5
140-5
150-5
160-5
170-5
180-5
19-1-6
20-1-6
21-1-6
22-1-6
23-1-6
24-1-6
25-1-6
26-1-6
27-1-6
28-1-6
29-1-6
30-1-6
31-1-6

How December really feels in Donetsk

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
21 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Donetsk weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-2° / -7°409.27.18.60.0
Feb-0° / -7°358.16.19.90.0
Mar / -2°409.64.711.60.6
Apr15° / 468.80.413.44.5
May22° / 10°579.80156.7
Jun26° / 15°519.4015.86.8
Jul29° / 17°468015.56.3
Aug28° / 16°335.1014.16.9
Sep22° / 10°416.5012.47.2
Oct14° / 407.30.410.64.2
Nov / -1°3572.290.4
Dec-0° / -5°428.668.20.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 87%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11486
21486
31387
41288
51288
61288
71288
81288
91288
101288
111189
121189
131189
141189
151189
161288
171288
181288
191288
201288
211387
221387
231387
241387
251288
261387
271387
281486
291486
301387
311387

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Donetsk gets around 42 mm of rain and snow over 8.6 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 28% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12414
22415
32415
42416
52516
62517
72518
82618
92619
102719
112719
122820
132820
142920
152920
162921
173021
183021
193021
203021
213020
223020
232920
242920
252920
262920
272820
282820
292820
302820
312821

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 15 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 24 min at the start of December to 8 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:58 AM to 8:18 AM, and sunset from 4:22 PM to 4:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.47:584:22
28.47:594:22
38.48:004:22
48.38:014:21
58.38:024:21
68.38:034:21
78.38:044:20
88.28:054:20
98.28:064:20
108.28:074:20
118.28:084:20
128.28:094:20
138.28:104:20
148.28:114:20
158.18:114:20
168.18:124:20
178.18:134:21
188.18:144:21
198.18:144:21
208.18:154:22
218.18:154:22
228.18:164:23
238.18:164:23
248.18:174:24
258.18:174:24
268.18:174:25
278.18:184:25
288.18:184:26
298.18:184:27
308.28:184:28
318.28:184:28

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.77 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.77 kWh/m² to a high of 6.19 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.77 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.8Dim
20.8Dim
30.8Dim
40.8Dim
50.8Dim
60.8Dim
70.8Dim
80.8Dim
90.8Dim
100.8Dim
110.8Dim
120.8Dim
130.8Dim
140.8Dim
150.8Dim
160.8Dim
170.8Dim
180.8Dim
190.8Dim
200.8Dim
210.8Dim
220.8Dim
230.8Dim
240.8Dim
250.8Dim
260.8Dim
270.8Dim
280.8Dim
290.8Dim
300.8Dim
310.8Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Donetsk?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Donetsk.

What to pack for Donetsk in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Donetsk sees daytime highs around -0°C and nights near -5°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Donetsk in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Donetsk peaks around June 21 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateVery highHighModerateLowJun 21UV 8Dec 17UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May5Moderate
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Donetsk in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Donetsk is worst in March — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodMar 1717 µg/m³Dec 178 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar18Moderate
Apr11Good
May10Good
Jun12Good
Jul14Moderate
Aug12Good
Sep10Good
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Donetsk?

Donetsk sits at 48.3°N, 40.0°E, 87 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Sukhodilsk, 17 km away.

Topography around Donetsk

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Donetsk.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Donetsk has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 156 m around an average of 103 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 222 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 350 m.

The land around Donetsk is covered by grassland (39%) and trees (35%) within 3 km, grassland (46%), trees (26%) and cropland (26%) within 16 km, and cropland (54%) and grassland (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
156 m
16 km
222 m
80 km
350 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Sukhodilsk 17 km · Sorokyne 17 km · Otamanivka 22 km · Kamensk-Shakhtinsky 23 km · Gukovo 31 km · Voznesenivka 31 km · Zverevo 37 km · Dovzhansk 37 km

Russia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 32% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$17,547
2025
Happiness
5.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
76%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.8
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
12
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 521
Religion
other Christian 2%

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 Donetsk (48.3375°, 39.9542°, elevation 87 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).