Norilsk weather in December
In December, Norilsk sees average daytime highs of -23°C and overnight lows near -28°C, with 42 mm of precipitation across 10 wet days and about 0 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs ease over the month, from about -22°C in the first days to -24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.
Daylight stretches from about 0 hours at the start of December to 0 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Norilsk's 9th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Norilsk's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- -23°
- 10th warmest
- Overnight low
- -28°
- 3rd coldest
- Precipitation
- 42 mm
- 10 wet days
- Daylight
- 0 hours
- — – —
- Cloud cover
- 82%
- 9th clearest
- Wind
- 16 km/h
- 1st windiest
- Solar energy
- 0 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 0.0
- out of 10
Norilsk is city in Russia.
- Density
- 6,079/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1935
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Highs ease over the month, from about -22°C in the first days to -24°C by the end.
A typical December day in Norilsk reaches about -23°C in the afternoon and slips back to -28°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -35°C and -10°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -22 | -23 | -23 | -23 | -23 | -23 | -24 | -24 | -24 | -24 | -24 |
| Avg low (°C) | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -27 | -28 | -28 | -28 | -28 | -28 | -28 | -28 | -29 | -29 | -29 | -29 | -29 | -30 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -22 | -27 |
| 2 | -22 | -27 |
| 3 | -22 | -27 |
| 4 | -22 | -27 |
| 5 | -22 | -27 |
| 6 | -22 | -27 |
| 7 | -22 | -27 |
| 8 | -22 | -27 |
| 9 | -22 | -27 |
| 10 | -22 | -27 |
| 11 | -22 | -27 |
| 12 | -22 | -27 |
| 13 | -22 | -27 |
| 14 | -22 | -27 |
| 15 | -22 | -27 |
| 16 | -22 | -27 |
| 17 | -22 | -27 |
| 18 | -22 | -27 |
| 19 | -22 | -28 |
| 20 | -22 | -28 |
| 21 | -22 | -28 |
| 22 | -23 | -28 |
| 23 | -23 | -28 |
| 24 | -23 | -28 |
| 25 | -23 | -28 |
| 26 | -23 | -29 |
| 27 | -24 | -29 |
| 28 | -24 | -29 |
| 29 | -24 | -29 |
| 30 | -24 | -29 |
| 31 | -24 | -30 |
How December really feels in Norilsk
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.
The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Norilsk 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.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -24° / -30° | 32 | 8.8 | 12 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Feb | -23° / -29° | 30 | 7.8 | 10.8 | 6.5 | 0.0 |
| Mar | -16° / -23° | 38 | 9.7 | 12.1 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Apr | -9° / -16° | 45 | 9.5 | 10.9 | 15.4 | 0.0 |
| May | -1° / -7° | 50 | 10.3 | 9.6 | 20.9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 11° / 4° | 64 | 11.7 | 2.5 | 24 | 2.3 |
| Jul | 17° / 10° | 75 | 11.2 | 0 | 23.2 | 5.1 |
| Aug | 14° / 8° | 85 | 13.5 | 0.2 | 17.5 | 3.6 |
| Sep | 6° / 1° | 70 | 12.4 | 4.5 | 12.9 | 0.7 |
| Oct | -6° / -11° | 74 | 14.1 | 14.8 | 8.5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | -18° / -23° | 47 | 9.6 | 12.3 | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| Dec | -23° / -28° | 42 | 10 | 13.5 | 0 | 0.0 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 4% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 82%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Cloudier (%) | 81 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 81 | 81 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | 81 |
| 2 | 20 | 80 |
| 3 | 20 | 80 |
| 4 | 20 | 80 |
| 5 | 20 | 80 |
| 6 | 20 | 80 |
| 7 | 20 | 80 |
| 8 | 20 | 80 |
| 9 | 18 | 82 |
| 10 | 18 | 82 |
| 11 | 18 | 82 |
| 12 | 18 | 82 |
| 13 | 17 | 83 |
| 14 | 17 | 83 |
| 15 | 17 | 83 |
| 16 | 17 | 83 |
| 17 | 17 | 83 |
| 18 | 17 | 83 |
| 19 | 17 | 83 |
| 20 | 17 | 83 |
| 21 | 17 | 83 |
| 22 | 17 | 83 |
| 23 | 17 | 83 |
| 24 | 18 | 82 |
| 25 | 18 | 82 |
| 26 | 18 | 82 |
| 27 | 18 | 82 |
| 28 | 18 | 82 |
| 29 | 19 | 81 |
| 30 | 19 | 81 |
| 31 | 19 | 81 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Norilsk gets around 42 mm of rain and snow over 10 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 37% on the wettest days, and about 14 days bring snow.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Snow chance (%) | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 40 |
| Rain chance (%) | Snow chance (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | 39 |
| 2 | 29 | 39 |
| 3 | 29 | 39 |
| 4 | 30 | 39 |
| 5 | 30 | 39 |
| 6 | 31 | 40 |
| 7 | 31 | 40 |
| 8 | 32 | 41 |
| 9 | 33 | 42 |
| 10 | 34 | 43 |
| 11 | 35 | 44 |
| 12 | 36 | 45 |
| 13 | 36 | 46 |
| 14 | 37 | 46 |
| 15 | 37 | 47 |
| 16 | 37 | 47 |
| 17 | 37 | 48 |
| 18 | 37 | 48 |
| 19 | 37 | 48 |
| 20 | 36 | 48 |
| 21 | 35 | 48 |
| 22 | 35 | 47 |
| 23 | 34 | 46 |
| 24 | 33 | 46 |
| 25 | 32 | 45 |
| 26 | 31 | 44 |
| 27 | 31 | 43 |
| 28 | 30 | 43 |
| 29 | 29 | 42 |
| 30 | 29 | 41 |
| 31 | 28 | 40 |
Humidity in December
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Dry (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 100 |
| 2 | 100 |
| 3 | 100 |
| 4 | 100 |
| 5 | 100 |
| 6 | 100 |
| 7 | 100 |
| 8 | 100 |
| 9 | 100 |
| 10 | 100 |
| 11 | 100 |
| 12 | 100 |
| 13 | 100 |
| 14 | 100 |
| 15 | 100 |
| 16 | 100 |
| 17 | 100 |
| 18 | 100 |
| 19 | 100 |
| 20 | 100 |
| 21 | 100 |
| 22 | 100 |
| 23 | 100 |
| 24 | 100 |
| 25 | 100 |
| 26 | 100 |
| 27 | 100 |
| 28 | 100 |
| 29 | 100 |
| 30 | 100 |
| 31 | 100 |
Wind in December
Winds average 16 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | light breeze |
| 2 | 14 | light breeze |
| 3 | 14 | light breeze |
| 4 | 15 | light breeze |
| 5 | 15 | light breeze |
| 6 | 15 | light breeze |
| 7 | 15 | light breeze |
| 8 | 15 | light breeze |
| 9 | 15 | light breeze |
| 10 | 15 | light breeze |
| 11 | 16 | light breeze |
| 12 | 16 | light breeze |
| 13 | 16 | light breeze |
| 14 | 16 | light breeze |
| 15 | 16 | light breeze |
| 16 | 16 | light breeze |
| 17 | 16 | light breeze |
| 18 | 16 | light breeze |
| 19 | 16 | light breeze |
| 20 | 16 | light breeze |
| 21 | 16 | light breeze |
| 22 | 16 | light breeze |
| 23 | 16 | light breeze |
| 24 | 16 | light breeze |
| 25 | 16 | light breeze |
| 26 | 16 | light breeze |
| 27 | 16 | light breeze |
| 28 | 16 | light breeze |
| 29 | 16 | light breeze |
| 30 | 16 | light breeze |
| 31 | 16 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in December
Daylight runs from about 0 hours at the start of December to 0 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sunset (PM) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 2 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 3 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 4 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 5 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 6 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 7 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 8 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 9 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 10 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 11 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 12 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 13 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 14 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 15 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 16 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 17 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 18 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 19 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 20 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 21 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 22 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 23 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 24 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 25 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 26 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 27 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 28 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 29 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 30 | 0.0 | — | — |
| 31 | 0.0 | — | — |
Solar energy in December
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 5.55 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 0 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Level | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 2 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 3 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 4 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 5 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 6 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 7 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 8 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 9 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 10 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 11 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 12 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 13 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 14 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 15 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 16 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 17 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 18 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 19 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 20 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 21 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 22 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 23 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 24 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 25 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 26 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 27 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 28 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 29 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 30 | 0.0 | Dim |
| 31 | 0.0 | Dim |
Is December a good time to visit Norilsk?
Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Norilsk.
What to pack for Norilsk in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Norilsk sees daytime highs around -23°C and nights near -28°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.
UV index in Norilsk in December
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 Norilsk peaks around July 15 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 3 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Level | Low | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | Low |
| Feb | 0 | Low |
| Mar | 1 | Low |
| Apr | 2 | Moderate |
| May | 4 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3 | Moderate |
| Jul | 4 | Moderate |
| Aug | 3 | Moderate |
| Sep | 1 | Low |
| Oct | 1 | Low |
| Nov | 0 | Low |
| Dec | 0 | Low |
Where is Norilsk?
Norilsk sits at 69.4°N, 88.2°E, 76 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Talnakh, 17 km away.
Topography around Norilsk
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Norilsk.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Norilsk has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 86 m around an average of 64 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 657 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,136 m.
The land around Norilsk is covered by water (35%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 3 km, moss and lichen (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (40%) and moss and lichen (24%) within 80 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
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 Norilsk (69.3535°, 88.2027°, elevation 76 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).