Saint Petersburg weather in December
Temperature, sea and sunshine in December: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in December
Poor
Best time to visit: June – August
What is the weather like in Saint Petersburg in December?
In December, Saint Petersburg is freezing cold: daytime highs average −2 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−5 °C). The sea averages 2.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 0 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 13 days, totalling 52 mm. Snow falls on about 8 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Saint Petersburg.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 12 | 11 | 13 |
| Day | 2° | −2° | −4° |
| Night | −1° | −5° | −8° |
| Sea | 6° | 2° | 0° |
| Sun | 1 h | 0 h | 1 h |
| Rain days | 13 | 13 | 12 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 5 h 58 min09:55 – 15:53
- UV index
- 0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 23 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 89 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 8 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+3Europe/Moscow
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %35 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in December
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Saint Petersburg in December: quick answers
Is Saint Petersburg hot in December?
No. In December, Saint Petersburg is freezing cold: daytime highs average −2 °C and nights drop to about −5 °C.
Can you swim in Saint Petersburg in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 2.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Saint Petersburg in December?
Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 52 mm in total.
Saint Petersburg month by month
The whole year in Saint PetersburgAll destinations: RussiaWhere to go in DecemberSea temperature in December
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences