Kandalaksha weather in December

In December, Kandalaksha sees average daytime highs of -5°C and overnight lows near -10°C, with 41 mm of precipitation across 10.4 wet days and about 0.4 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about -4°C in the first days to -7°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 7% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 2 h 18 min at the start of December to 0 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kandalaksha's 11th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kandalaksha's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-5°
10th warmest
Overnight low
-10°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
41 mm
10.4 wet days
Daylight
0 hours
— – —
Cloud cover
87%
11th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
0 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Kandalaksha is human settlement in Russia.

Density
6/km²
people per km²
Founded
1526

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 -4°C in the first days to -7°C by the end.

A typical December day in Kandalaksha reaches about -5°C in the afternoon and slips back to -10°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -13°C and 1°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-20°-10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-4-8
2-4-8
3-4-8
4-4-8
5-4-8
6-4-8
7-4-8
8-4-8
9-4-8
10-4-9
11-4-9
12-4-9
13-4-9
14-5-9
15-5-9
16-5-10
17-5-10
18-5-10
19-5-10
20-6-10
21-6-11
22-6-11
23-6-11
24-6-11
25-7-11
26-7-12
27-7-12
28-7-12
29-7-12
30-7-12
31-7-12

How December really feels in Kandalaksha

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
31 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Kandalaksha weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-8° / -13°369.711.52.80.0
Feb-8° / -13°308.510.47.20.0
Mar-3° / -9°328.29.211.10.0
Apr / -4°327.97.1150.0
May / 4710.53.519.21.4
Jun14° / 61110.223.53.8
Jul17° / 10°7912.6021.55.1
Aug15° / 6311.9016.84.2
Sep10° / 6110.70.412.82.1
Oct / -0°5911.25.48.90.1
Nov-2° / -6°4710.911.24.70.0
Dec-5° / -10°4110.412.60.40.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 7% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 6% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 88%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1892
2991
3991
4991
51090
61090
71189
81189
91288
101288
111387
121387
131486
141486
151486
161486
171486
181486
191486
201486
211387
221387
231387
241387
251387
261288
271288
281288
291288
301288
311288

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Kandalaksha gets around 41 mm of rain and snow over 10.4 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 33% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days, and about 13 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13743
23843
33844
43844
53844
63744
73744
83744
93643
103643
113643
123542
133542
143441
153440
163340
173239
183238
193137
203137
213037
223036
233036
243036
253037
263036
273036
282936
292936
303036
313036

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 13 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 2 h 18 min at the start of December to 0 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
12.311:311:49
22.111:371:44
31.911:431:39
41.711:491:33
51.511:561:27
61.312:031:21
71.012:121:13
80.712:221:04
90.0
100.0
110.0
120.0
130.0
140.0
150.0
160.0
170.0
180.0
190.0
200.0
210.0
220.0
230.0
240.0
250.0
260.0
270.0
280.0
290.0
300.0
310.0

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0 kWh/m² to a high of 5.07 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.0Dim
20.0Dim
30.0Dim
40.0Dim
50.0Dim
60.0Dim
70.0Dim
80.0Dim
90.0Dim
100.0Dim
110.0Dim
120.0Dim
130.0Dim
140.0Dim
150.0Dim
160.0Dim
170.0Dim
180.0Dim
190.0Dim
200.0Dim
210.0Dim
220.0Dim
230.0Dim
240.0Dim
250.0Dim
260.0Dim
270.0Dim
280.0Dim
290.0Dim
300.0Dim
310.0Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Kandalaksha?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kandalaksha.

What to pack for Kandalaksha in December

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

In December, Kandalaksha sees daytime highs around -5°C and nights near -10°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Kandalaksha in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 0. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kandalaksha peaks around July 14 at about 4 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJul 14UV 4Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb0Low
Mar1Low
Apr2Moderate
May3Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep1Low
Oct0Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Kandalaksha?

Kandalaksha sits at 67.2°N, 32.4°E, 29 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Polyarnyye Zori, 24 km away.

Topography around Kandalaksha

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kandalaksha has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 289 m around an average of 50 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 651 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,201 m.

The land around Kandalaksha is covered by trees (53%) and water (31%) within 3 km, trees (67%) and water (24%) within 16 km, and trees (71%) and water (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
289 m
16 km
651 m
80 km
1,201 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetlandmoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Polyarnyye Zori 24 km · Apatity 64 km · Kirovsk 75 km · Monchegorsk 90 km · Kovdor 95 km · Olenegorsk 116 km · Murmansk 204 km · Severomorsk 217 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 Kandalaksha (67.1512°, 32.4128°, elevation 29 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).