Kars weather in December

In December, Kars sees average daytime highs of -1°C and overnight lows near -10°C, with 36 mm of precipitation across 7 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 1°C in the first days to -2°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% 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 Kars's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kars's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-1°
10th warmest
Overnight low
-10°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
36 mm
7 wet days
Daylight
9 h 06 min
6:31 AM – 3:37 PM
Cloud cover
56%
7th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
2.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

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

Air quality
Moderate
PM10 45 µg/m³ · 2019

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 1°C in the first days to -2°C by the end.

A typical December day in Kars reaches about -1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -10°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -7°C and 4°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)
12-7
21-7
31-8
41-8
51-8
60-8
70-9
80-9
90-9
100-9
11-1-9
12-1-10
13-1-10
14-1-10
15-1-10
16-1-10
17-1-10
18-2-11
19-2-11
20-2-11
21-2-11
22-2-11
23-2-11
24-2-11
25-2-11
26-2-11
27-2-11
28-2-11
29-2-12
30-3-12
31-3-12

How December really feels in Kars

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.

Kars 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-3° / -13°357.48.49.40.0
Feb-2° / -11°408.39.210.40.0
Mar / -6°6612.410.511.70.1
Apr10° / -1°9916.77.1131.8
May15° / 126211.614.23.5
Jun20° / 9015.90.114.85.6
Jul23° / 11°6012.5014.66.9
Aug24° / 11°4811.1013.67.3
Sep20° / 347.20.212.37.1
Oct14° / 4991.310.94.2
Nov / -4°366.75.19.70.6
Dec-1° / -10°3678.19.10.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25149
35149
45050
55050
65050
74951
84852
94852
104951
114951
124951
134852
144852
154852
164852
174852
184852
194951
204951
215050
225050
235050
245050
255050
265050
275050
285050
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Kars gets around 36 mm of rain and snow over 7 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 23% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days, and about 8 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12122
22123
32123
42123
52124
62124
72225
82225
92225
102226
112226
122226
132326
142327
152327
162427
172428
182428
192428
202428
212427
222427
232427
242427
252426
262426
272427
282427
292427
302427
312427

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 6 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
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
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 6:18 AM to 6:37 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)
19.36:183:37
29.36:193:36
39.36:203:36
49.36:213:36
59.26:223:36
69.26:233:36
79.26:243:36
89.26:253:36
99.26:253:36
109.26:263:36
119.26:273:36
129.16:283:36
139.16:283:36
149.16:293:37
159.16:303:37
169.16:313:37
179.16:313:37
189.16:323:38
199.16:323:38
209.16:333:38
219.16:333:39
229.16:343:39
239.16:343:40
249.16:353:40
259.16:353:41
269.16:363:41
279.16:363:42
289.16:363:43
299.16:363:43
309.16:373:44
319.16:373:45

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.08 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.08 kWh/m² to a high of 7.05 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.08 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.2Moderate
22.2Moderate
32.2Moderate
42.2Moderate
52.2Moderate
62.1Moderate
72.1Moderate
82.1Moderate
92.1Moderate
102.1Moderate
112.1Moderate
122.1Moderate
132.1Moderate
142.1Moderate
152.1Moderate
162.1Moderate
172.1Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.1Moderate
212.1Moderate
222.1Moderate
232.1Moderate
242.1Moderate
252.1Moderate
262.1Moderate
272.1Moderate
282.1Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kars

In seasonPeak

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

Kars's rainy season runs March–July, 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 Kars?

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
7th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kars.

What to pack for Kars in December

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

In December, Kars sees daytime highs around -1°C and nights near -10°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Kars 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 Kars peaks around June 21 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highModerateJun 21UV 10Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Kars 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 Kars is worst in May — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.8× the cleanest month (January, 11 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodMay 1220 µg/m³Jan 1111 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul13Moderate
Aug12Good
Sep11Good
Oct13Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kars?

Kars sits at 40.6°N, 43.1°E, 1,767 m above sea level, in Turkey. The nearest listed city is Kağızman, 49 km away.

OltuArmavirAğrı

Topography around Kars

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kars has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 235 m around an average of 1,795 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 947 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,315 m.

The land around Kars is covered by grassland (53%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 3 km, grassland (57%) and cropland (39%) within 16 km, and grassland (73%) and cropland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
235 m
16 km
947 m
80 km
2,315 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Kağızman 49 km · Sarıkamış 52 km · Ardahan 65 km · Gyumri 68 km · Artik 75 km · Oltu 93 km · Armavir 95 km · Ağrı 98 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 Kars (40.5983°, 43.0855°, elevation 1,767 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).