Ardahan weather in December

In December, Ardahan sees average daytime highs of -2°C and overnight lows near -12°C, with 39 mm of precipitation across 8.4 wet days and about 9.1 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 0°C in the first days to -3°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 18 min at the start of December to 9 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Ardahan's 7th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ardahan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-2°
10th warmest
Overnight low
-12°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
39 mm
8.4 wet days
Daylight
9 h 06 min
6:34 AM – 3:37 PM
Cloud cover
60%
7th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.01 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Ardahan is central district and city in Ardahan Province, Turkey.

Air quality
Moderate
PM10 40.1 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
18/km²
people per km²

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 0°C in the first days to -3°C by the end.

A typical December day in Ardahan reaches about -2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -12°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -7°C and 3°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11-9
20-9
30-9
40-10
50-10
60-10
7-1-10
8-1-10
9-1-11
10-1-11
11-1-11
12-1-11
13-2-11
14-2-12
15-2-12
16-2-12
17-2-12
18-2-12
19-2-12
20-2-12
21-2-12
22-2-12
23-2-12
24-2-12
25-3-13
26-3-13
27-3-13
28-3-13
29-3-13
30-3-13
31-3-13

How December really feels in Ardahan

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.

Ardahan weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-4° / -14°388.910.49.40.0
Feb-2° / -12°398.99.910.40.0
Mar / -7°6912.512.111.70.0
Apr / -2°10317.2913.11.1
May14° / 13621.72.314.33.0
Jun18° / 11018.40.214.94.9
Jul21° / 10°8415.3014.75.9
Aug22° / 10°7115.5013.66.2
Sep18° / 489.80.312.36.0
Oct12° / 6210.62.610.93.3
Nov / -5°457.97.19.70.3
Dec-2° / -12°398.49.69.10.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 57%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24654
34456
44357
54357
64357
74258
84258
94159
104159
114159
124159
134060
144060
154159
164159
174159
184159
194258
204258
214258
224456
234456
244456
254456
264456
274456
284456
294357
304357
314258

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Ardahan gets around 39 mm of rain and snow over 8.4 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 28% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days, and about 10 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12628
22628
32629
42629
52630
62730
72731
82731
92731
102731
112732
122832
132832
142833
152933
162933
172933
182933
192933
202933
212932
222832
232831
242831
252731
262731
272731
282831
292831
302832
312832

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 7 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 18 min at the start of December to 9 h 06 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 6:21 AM to 6:40 AM, and sunset from 3:37 PM to 3:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.36:213:37
29.26:223:36
39.26:233:36
49.26:243:36
59.26:253:36
69.26:263:36
79.26:273:36
89.16:283:36
99.16:293:36
109.16:293:36
119.16:303:36
129.16:313:36
139.16:323:36
149.16:323:37
159.16:333:37
169.16:343:37
179.06:343:37
189.06:353:38
199.06:363:38
209.06:363:38
219.06:373:39
229.06:373:39
239.06:383:40
249.06:383:40
259.06:383:41
269.06:393:41
279.06:393:42
289.16:393:43
299.16:403:43
309.16:403:44
319.16:403:45

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.01 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.01 kWh/m² to a high of 6.62 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.01 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.2Moderate
22.1Moderate
32.1Moderate
42.1Moderate
52.1Moderate
62.1Moderate
72.1Moderate
82.0Moderate
92.0Moderate
102.0Moderate
112.0Moderate
122.0Moderate
132.0Moderate
142.0Dim
152.0Dim
162.0Dim
172.0Dim
182.0Dim
192.0Dim
202.0Dim
212.0Dim
222.0Dim
232.0Dim
242.0Moderate
252.0Moderate
262.0Moderate
272.0Moderate
282.0Moderate
292.0Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Ardahan

In seasonPeak

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

Ardahan's rainy season runs March–August, 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 Ardahan?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Ardahan.

What to pack for Ardahan in December

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

In December, Ardahan sees daytime highs around -2°C and nights near -12°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Ardahan 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 Ardahan peaks around June 19 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highModerateJun 19UV 11Jan 11UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb4Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr7Very high
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Ardahan 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 Ardahan is worst in April — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.8× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 2315 µg/m³Jan 19 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul11Good
Aug11Good
Sep9Good
Oct9Good
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Ardahan?

Ardahan sits at 41.1°N, 42.7°E, 1,812 m above sea level, in Turkey. The nearest listed city is Akhaltsikhe, 64 km away.

GyumriBatumiKobuleti

Topography around Ardahan

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ardahan has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 229 m around an average of 1,829 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 915 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,154 m.

The land around Ardahan is covered by grassland (61%) and cropland (22%) within 3 km, grassland (80%) within 16 km, and grassland (64%) and trees (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
229 m
16 km
915 m
80 km
3,154 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Akhaltsikhe 64 km · Kars 65 km · Artvin 74 km · Oltu 87 km · Sarıkamış 87 km · Gyumri 102 km · Batumi 107 km · Kobuleti 111 km

Turkey travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$18,599
2025
Happiness
5.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
3.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
6.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 488
Religion
Muslim 100%other 0%

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 Ardahan (41.1087°, 42.7022°, elevation 1,812 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).