Weather in Yakutsk

Find out what weather awaits you in Yakutsk. In this section, you will find up-to-date weather reports, detailed forecasts, and useful weather charts to make your stay in the city as comfortable as possible.

The climate in Yakutsk is sharply continental, with extremely large annual and daily temperature fluctuations. The city is known as one of the coldest inhabited places in the world. Winters here are incredibly severe and prolonged, while summers are short but comparatively warm. Very little precipitation falls throughout the year, making the climate arid, especially during the winter months.

Four seasons are clearly defined, but the transitional periods – spring and autumn – are very short. Winter lasts from October to April, bringing severe frosts, when average January temperatures drop to -38.6°C, and minimums can reach as low as -41.6°C. Snow cover persists for a long time. Summer, occurring from June to August, is characterized by noticeable warming: the average July temperature is +20.2°C, and maximum values can rise to +25.8°C. The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the summer months, although it remains small (1-2 mm), with August being the month with the highest number of rainy days.

The temperature regime in Yakutsk is characterized by one of the largest annual temperature ranges in the world. The difference between the average monthly temperatures of the coldest and warmest months is almost 60°C! The harshest month is traditionally January, when the average temperature holds at -38.6°C, and night-time minimums can drop to -41.6°C, while daytime maximums rarely rise above -35.6°C. Conversely, July brings summer warmth: the average monthly temperature is +20.2°C, with daytime highs reaching +25.8°C, and night-time lows around +14.7°C.

Winter in Yakutsk is long and extremely frosty. Already in November, the average temperature drops to -23.7°C. The peak of the cold falls on December (average temperature -36.5°C) and January (-38.6°C). In February, the frosts weaken slightly, but the average temperature still remains very low – -31.2°C. Even in March, the average temperature is -17.4°C, indicating the prolonged nature of winter. The transition to warmer conditions happens quickly: in April, the average temperature is already -4.1°C, and in May it rises to +7.5°C, although night-time temperatures in May can still drop to +2.1°C.

The summer period, covering June, July, and August, offers pleasant warmth, and sometimes hot weather during the day. In June, the average temperature is +17.6°C, with daytime highs up to +23.8°C. As mentioned, July is the warmest month. In August, the temperature begins to gradually decrease, averaging +16.2°C, but during the day it can still be above +21°C. A characteristic feature of the climate of Yakutsk is significant daily temperature fluctuations, especially pronounced in the summer and transitional months. For example, in June, the difference between the average minimum (+11.5°C) and maximum (+23.8°C) temperature exceeds 12 degrees, which means warm days and noticeably cool nights. A similar picture is observed in other warm months, as well as in April and September, when daytime warming is replaced by night-time cooling.

Yakutsk is characterized by a very low level of precipitation throughout the year, making its climate arid. The winter months — January, February, March, November, and December — are exceptionally dry, with an average rainfall of 0 mm. Despite this, 2 to 5 days with precipitation are recorded during these months, which likely corresponds to very light snow, frost, or ice needles that do not result in significant accumulation.

The summer period, from June to August, brings some increase in precipitation, which falls mainly as rain. The "wettest" month in Yakutsk is considered to be August, when an average of 2 mm of precipitation falls, distributed over approximately 10 days. July and September also have a higher number of days with precipitation (8 and 9 days respectively), although the total amount of precipitation is only 1 mm. As a rule, these are light or moderate rains, rather than heavy downpours.

Transitional months, such as April, May, and October, are also distinguished by low precipitation levels (1 mm). During these periods, precipitation can fall as rain, as well as snow or sleet, with the number of days with precipitation ranging from 6 to 7. In general, Yakutsk is characterized by clear seasonality in precipitation distribution: a very dry, practically snowless (in terms of accumulation) winter and a summer with a slight increase in the number of rainy days, but still a very small total volume of precipitation.

When planning a trip to Yakutsk, it is important to pay special attention to packing, as the city is known for its sharply continental climate with extreme annual temperature fluctuations. The winter months, from November to March, and often April, are characterized by very severe frosts: the average temperature can drop to -38°C, and minimum values reach -40°C and below. For this period, maximally warm clothing is absolutely necessary: a down jacket or fur coat designed for extreme cold, several sets of thermal underwear, warm sweaters (wool or fleece), insulated trousers, a ushanka hat or another very warm hat that covers the ears well, a voluminous scarf to help protect the face from frost and potential wind, and exceptionally warm mittens or gloves (mittens are preferable). Pay special attention to footwear: these should be special winter boots or traditional fur boots (unty) with thick non-slip soles and warm insoles. The principle of layering in clothing is your main ally in the fight against Yakut frosts.

Summer in Yakutsk (June-August) is short but can be quite warm, with daytime temperatures rising to +20°C and even +25°C. However, evenings and nights are noticeably cooler, so even in summer, it is worth having a warm sweater, fleece jacket, or light jacket with you. For daytime walks, light clothing is suitable: T-shirts, shirts, trousers, or shorts. Although the total amount of precipitation is small, rainy days do occur in the summer months, so a compact raincoat or small umbrella will not be amiss. In spring (May) and autumn (September-October), the weather is very changeable and quickly shifts from warm to cold (or vice versa). During these periods, you will need a mid-season jacket, warm jumpers, a hat, and gloves, especially in October when frosts are already possible. Regardless of the season, take comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses (in winter the sun reflects brightly off the snow), and sunscreen. Lip balm and moisturizing cream will also be useful, as the air in Yakutsk is quite dry, especially in winter.