Kazakhstan
Almaty in December
❄️ Snowy winterCold and mostly dry.
🎒 Pack: winter coat, gloves & hat
Why December scores 6.8What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort5.7
- !Cold (2°C highs / -6°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -12°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~44 mm rain)
- !Grey, overcast skies (~82% cloud cover on average)
- Air quality5.7
- !Elevated (PM2.5 ~35 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | Sep | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.8 Good | 9.4 Excellent |
| Season | ❄️ Snowy winter | 🍂 Autumn |
| High / low | 2° / -6° | 25° / 12° |
| Rain | 44 mm | 28 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -12° | dew pt 1° |
| PM2.5 | 35 µg/m³ | 14 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Almaty weather-station normals. Rainfall: Almaty weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
No long holidaysNo long public-holiday weekends this month. School holidays aren't counted, so check those if you want to avoid family crowds.
Other public holidays: Independence Day (16 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Nature calendarBlossoms, leaves & seasons in Almaty
- Snowy daysIn DecemberTypical datesSnow likely Oct–Apr (most in Feb: ~13 days)
Average number of days with snowfall at Almaty.
Source: Almaty weather-station normals (national weather service, via Wikipedia climate table)
Explore AlmatyEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyKazakhstan's largest city, set against the snow-capped Trans-Ili Alatau, popular for mountain lakes, skiing and leafy Soviet-era streets.
Ski seasonDate variesRoughly December to March
The main skiing season on the slopes above the city.
Why go: Weekends are crowded; go midweek if possible.
Where: Shymbulak
Coming up later
NauryzEvery year21–23 March every year
The spring new year, celebrated with yurts, concerts and the dish nauryz kozhe.
Why go: Public holidays; expect festive events in parks and squares.
Where: Citywide
Medeugreat in Dec
A high-altitude outdoor ice rink in a mountain valley just above the city.
Shymbulakgreat in Dec
A ski resort reached by cable car from Medeu, also used for hiking and views in summer.
Big Almaty Lake
A turquoise reservoir in the mountains south of the city at about 2,500 m.
💡 Its colour is best in summer and early autumn; access can be restricted, so go with a guide or check locally.
Kok-Tobe
A hill park reached by cable car with city and mountain views.
Zenkov Cathedral and Panfilov Park
A colourful wooden Russian Orthodox cathedral inside a central park.
Green Bazaar
The main covered market, selling dried fruit, nuts, meat, dairy and local snacks.
Beshbarmak
Boiled meat (often horse or lamb) on wide flat noodles, Kazakhstan's national dish.
Baursak
Puffy fried dough served with tea and at celebrations.
Plov
Rice cooked with meat, carrots and onions in a large cauldron.
Kumys
Fermented mare's milk, a traditional drink of the steppe.
💡 Green Bazaar
Aport apples
Large apples historically linked to Almaty, whose name relates to apples.
Rakhat chocolate
Chocolate and sweets from a long-established Almaty confectionery factory.
💡 Supermarkets and the Green Bazaar
Felt crafts
Felt slippers, hats and wall hangings with Kazakh patterns.
💡 Souvenir and craft shops
Dried fruit and nuts
A wide choice of dried apricots, raisins and nuts.
💡 Green Bazaar