Elista weather in December

In December, Elista sees average daytime highs of 1°C and overnight lows near -4°C, with 28 mm of precipitation across 6.9 wet days and about 8.5 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 2°C in the first days to -0°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Elista's 12th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Elista's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-4°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
28 mm
6.9 wet days
Daylight
8 h 24 min
7:46 AM – 4:12 PM
Cloud cover
85%
12th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
0.89 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Elista is city in the Kalmyk Republic, Russia.

Density
514/km²
people per km²
Founded
1865

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 2°C in the first days to -0°C by the end.

A typical December day in Elista reaches about 1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -4°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -6°C and 7°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-15°-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12-3
22-3
32-3
42-3
52-3
62-3
71-3
81-4
91-4
101-4
111-4
121-4
131-4
141-4
151-4
161-4
171-4
180-4
190-5
200-5
210-5
220-5
230-5
240-5
250-5
260-5
270-5
280-5
290-5
300-5
310-5

How December really feels in Elista

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
16 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Elista weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -6°287.85.48.80.0
Feb / -6°2364.3100.0
Mar / -1°367.93.311.61.1
Apr16° / 356.90.113.35.1
May23° / 12°438.1014.77.1
Jun29° / 17°396.7015.56.3
Jul31° / 19°295.6015.25.0
Aug31° / 18°234.20145.7
Sep24° / 12°285.4012.37.6
Oct15° / 336.70.210.75.1
Nov / -0°296.42.49.20.8
Dec / -4°286.94.98.50.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 6% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 86%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11684
21585
31486
41486
51486
61486
71486
81387
91387
101387
111387
121387
131486
141486
151486
161486
171486
181585
191585
201585
211684
221684
231585
241486
251486
261387
271387
281387
291387
301288
311288

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Elista gets around 28 mm of rain and snow over 6.9 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 23% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12112
22012
32012
42012
52012
61912
71912
81913
91913
101913
111913
122014
132014
142115
152115
162216
172217
182317
192317
202418
212418
222519
232519
242619
252619
262720
272720
282720
292719
302719
312719

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 16 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 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 7:32 AM to 7:53 AM, and sunset from 4:13 PM to 4:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.77:324:13
28.77:344:13
38.67:354:12
48.67:364:12
58.67:374:12
68.67:384:12
78.57:394:11
88.57:404:11
98.57:414:11
108.57:424:11
118.57:434:11
128.57:434:11
138.57:444:11
148.47:454:11
158.47:464:12
168.47:464:12
178.47:474:12
188.47:484:12
198.47:484:13
208.47:494:13
218.47:494:14
228.47:504:14
238.47:504:14
248.47:514:15
258.47:514:16
268.47:514:16
278.47:524:17
288.47:524:17
298.47:524:18
308.47:524:19
318.57:534:20

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.89 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.89 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.89 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.0Dim
21.0Dim
31.0Dim
40.9Dim
50.9Dim
60.9Dim
70.9Dim
80.9Dim
90.9Dim
100.9Dim
110.9Dim
120.9Dim
130.9Dim
140.9Dim
150.9Dim
160.9Dim
170.9Dim
180.9Dim
190.9Dim
200.9Dim
210.9Dim
220.9Dim
230.9Dim
240.9Dim
250.9Dim
260.9Dim
270.9Dim
280.9Dim
290.9Dim
300.9Dim
310.9Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Elista?

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
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Elista.

What to pack for Elista in December

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

In December, Elista sees daytime highs around 1°C and nights near -4°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Elista 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 Elista peaks around July 15 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 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 15UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar2Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May5High
Jun7High
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Elista 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 Elista is worst in March — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMar 1817 µg/m³Jan 118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar18Moderate
Apr11Good
May10Good
Jun9Good
Jul10Good
Aug9Good
Sep10Good
Oct10Good
Nov10Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Elista?

Elista sits at 46.3°N, 44.3°E, 94 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Divnoye, 83 km away.

Topography around Elista

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Elista has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 114 m around an average of 137 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 234 m.

The land around Elista is covered by artificial surfaces (61%) and grassland (33%) within 3 km, grassland (67%) and cropland (28%) within 16 km, and grassland (71%) and cropland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
114 m
16 km
171 m
80 km
234 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Divnoye 83 km · Arzgir 104 km · Ipatovo 123 km · Blagodarnyy 149 km · Svetlograd 154 km · Zimovniki 165 km · Kotel’nikovo 170 km · Budyonnovsk 170 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 Elista (46.3079°, 44.2554°, elevation 94 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).