Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy weather in December

In December, Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy sees average daytime highs of -17°C and overnight lows near -24°C, with 23 mm of precipitation across 7.5 wet days and about 6.6 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about -16°C in the first days to -18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 7 hours at the start of December to 6 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-17°
11th warmest
Overnight low
-24°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
23 mm
7.5 wet days
Daylight
6 h 36 min
9:43 AM – 4:17 PM
Cloud cover
84%
11th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
0.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy is human settlement in Nizhneilimsky District, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia.

Density
279/km²
people per km²
Founded
1948

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 -16°C in the first days to -18°C by the end.

A typical December day in Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy reaches about -17°C in the afternoon and slips back to -24°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -29°C and -7°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-40°-30°-20°-10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-15-23
2-15-23
3-16-23
4-16-23
5-16-24
6-16-24
7-16-24
8-17-24
9-17-24
10-17-24
11-17-24
12-17-24
13-17-24
14-17-24
15-17-24
16-17-24
17-17-24
18-17-24
19-17-24
20-17-24
21-17-24
22-17-24
23-17-24
24-17-24
25-18-25
26-18-25
27-18-25
28-18-25
29-18-25
30-18-25
31-18-25

How December really feels in Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy

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.

Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-19° / -26°155.797.20.0
Feb-13° / -23°134.77.29.10.0
Mar-4° / -15°185.88.511.40.0
Apr / -6°278.36.413.90.4
May14° / 4511.51.916.13.7
Jun21° / 5711017.36.2
Jul23° / 13°6711.4016.86.6
Aug20° / 10°6911.4014.96.1
Sep12° / 5311.61.212.53.0
Oct / -5°3810.28.7100.1
Nov-10° / -17°309.3127.90.0
Dec-17° / -24°237.5116.60.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 5% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 86%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11189
21288
31288
41288
51288
61486
71486
81486
91486
101486
111486
121387
131387
141387
151486
161486
171486
181486
191486
201486
211486
221486
231585
241585
251585
261585
271783
281783
291783
301783
311783

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy gets around 23 mm of rain and snow over 7.5 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 25% and peaks near 28% on the wettest days, and about 11 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12737
22736
32635
42635
52635
62635
72635
82635
92736
102737
112738
122838
132839
142839
152839
162740
172740
182739
192639
202539
212538
222438
232337
242236
252235
262135
272134
282133
292033
302033
312032

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 11 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 7 hours at the start of December to 6 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 9:24 AM to 9:48 AM, and sunset from 4:23 PM to 4:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
17.09:244:23
26.99:254:22
36.99:274:21
46.99:284:21
56.89:304:20
66.89:314:19
76.89:334:19
86.79:344:18
96.79:354:18
106.79:374:17
116.79:384:17
126.69:394:17
136.69:404:17
146.69:414:17
156.69:424:17
166.69:434:17
176.69:444:17
186.59:444:17
196.59:454:17
206.59:464:17
216.59:464:18
226.59:474:18
236.59:474:19
246.59:484:19
256.59:484:20
266.59:484:21
276.69:484:21
286.69:484:22
296.69:484:23
306.69:484:24
316.69:484:25

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.46 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.46 kWh/m² to a high of 5.99 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.46 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.6Dim
20.5Dim
30.5Dim
40.5Dim
50.5Dim
60.5Dim
70.5Dim
80.5Dim
90.5Dim
100.5Dim
110.5Dim
120.5Dim
130.5Dim
140.5Dim
150.5Dim
160.4Dim
170.4Dim
180.4Dim
190.4Dim
200.4Dim
210.4Dim
220.4Dim
230.4Dim
240.4Dim
250.5Dim
260.5Dim
270.5Dim
280.5Dim
290.5Dim
300.5Dim
310.5Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy.

What to pack for Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy in December

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

In December, Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy sees daytime highs around -17°C and nights near -24°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy 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 Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy peaks around June 20 at about 6 (high) — 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 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowJun 20UV 6Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Low
Apr4Moderate
May5Moderate
Jun6High
Jul5High
Aug5Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct1Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low

Air quality in Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy 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 Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy is worst in July — around 44 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 37.0× the cleanest month (December, 1 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodJul 1742 µg/m³Dec 171 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan3Good
Feb4Good
Mar5Good
Apr8Good
May11Good
Jun24Moderate
Jul44Poor
Aug26Moderate
Sep25Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov3Good
Dec1Good
Location & terrain

Where is Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy?

Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy sits at 56.6°N, 104.1°E, 392 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Ust’-Kut, 104 km away.

Topography around Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 579 m around an average of 489 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 609 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 821 m.

The land around Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy is covered by trees (71%) within 3 km, trees (91%) within 16 km, and trees (97%) within 80 km.

3 km
579 m
16 km
609 m
80 km
821 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Ust’-Kut 104 km · Bratsk 163 km · Ust’-Ilimsk 181 km · Vikhorevka 189 km · Chunskiy 282 km · Sayansk 300 km · Tulun 316 km · Zima 324 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 Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy (56.5767°, 104.1297°, elevation 392 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).