Vladikavkaz weather in December

In December, Vladikavkaz sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -6°C, with 26 mm of precipitation across 6 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 3°C in the first days to 2°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Vladikavkaz's 5th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Vladikavkaz's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-6°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
26 mm
6 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
7:32 AM – 4:23 PM
Cloud cover
55%
5th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
1.59 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Vladikavkaz is capital city of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia.

Density
1,052/km²
people per km²
Founded
1784

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 3°C in the first days to 2°C by the end.

A typical December day in Vladikavkaz reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -6°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -4°C and 8°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)
14-4
23-4
33-4
43-5
53-5
63-5
73-5
83-5
92-5
102-5
112-6
122-6
132-6
142-6
152-6
162-6
172-6
182-6
192-6
202-6
212-6
222-6
232-6
242-6
252-6
262-6
272-6
282-6
292-6
302-6
311-6

How December really feels in Vladikavkaz

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Vladikavkaz weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -7°266.67.39.20.0
Feb / -7°306.86.810.20.0
Mar / -3°7012.19.911.60.5
Apr11° / 103157.213.12.5
May17° / 15721.11.114.43.9
Jun20° / 11°21622.7015.14.5
Jul23° / 13°20122.9014.84.9
Aug23° / 13°16920.7013.85.3
Sep19° / 9814.60.312.35.4
Oct14° / 61102.710.84.0
Nov / -2°386.95.19.50.9
Dec / -6°2665.78.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25248
35248
45248
55248
65149
75050
85050
95050
105050
115050
125050
135050
145050
155050
165050
175050
185050
195050
205050
215149
225248
235248
245149
255149
265149
275149
285149
295050
305050
315050

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Vladikavkaz gets around 26 mm of rain and snow over 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 19% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12020
22019
32019
41919
51918
61918
71918
81818
91817
101817
111817
121817
131817
141817
151817
161818
171818
181918
191918
201918
211918
221918
231919
242019
252019
262019
272120
282120
292120
302120
312121

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 4 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 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 7:19 AM to 7:39 AM, and sunset from 4:23 PM to 4:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:194:23
29.07:204:22
39.07:214:22
49.07:224:22
59.07:234:22
69.07:244:22
78.97:254:22
88.97:264:22
98.97:274:22
108.97:284:22
118.97:294:22
128.97:304:22
138.97:304:22
148.97:314:22
158.87:324:22
168.87:324:23
178.87:334:23
188.87:344:23
198.87:344:23
208.87:354:24
218.87:354:24
228.87:364:25
238.87:364:25
248.87:374:26
258.87:374:26
268.87:374:27
278.87:384:28
288.87:384:28
298.87:384:29
308.97:384:30
318.97:394:30

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.59 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.59 kWh/m² to a high of 5.61 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.59 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.6Dim
31.6Dim
41.6Dim
51.6Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.6Dim
181.6Dim
191.6Dim
201.6Dim
211.6Dim
221.6Dim
231.6Dim
241.6Dim
251.6Dim
261.6Dim
271.6Dim
281.6Dim
291.6Dim
301.6Dim
311.6Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Vladikavkaz

In seasonPeak

None of Vladikavkaz's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Vladikavkaz's rainy season runs April–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Vladikavkaz?

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 Vladikavkaz.

What to pack for Vladikavkaz in December

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

In December, Vladikavkaz sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -6°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Vladikavkaz in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Vladikavkaz peaks around July 12 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 12UV 9Jan 12UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Vladikavkaz?

Vladikavkaz sits at 43.0°N, 44.7°E, 681 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Beslan, 20 km away.

Topography around Vladikavkaz

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Vladikavkaz has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m around an average of 675 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,239 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,899 m.

The land around Vladikavkaz is covered by artificial surfaces (78%) within 3 km, trees (43%) and cropland (34%) within 16 km, and grassland (33%), trees (31%) and cropland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
98 m
16 km
1,239 m
80 km
4,899 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Beslan 20 km · Kantyshevo 21 km · Nazran 22 km · Ekazhevo 23 km · Surkhakhi 25 km · Ardon 34 km · Karabulak 35 km · Alagir 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 Vladikavkaz (43.041°, 44.6699°, elevation 681 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).