Kazakhstan
Astana in December
❄️ Snowy winterCold and mostly dry. Watch for snow & ice risk.
🎒 Pack: winter coat, gloves & hat
Why December scores 6.9What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort5.1
- !Cold (-8°C highs / -16°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -15°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~25 mm rain)
- Air quality9.2
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~10 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards8.5
- !Snow & ice: Average low -16°C
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | May | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.9 Good | 9.5 Excellent |
| Season | ❄️ Snowy winter | 🌷 Spring |
| High / low | -8° / -16° | 21° / 8° |
| Rain | 25 mm | 33 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -15° | dew pt 5° |
| PM2.5 | 10 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Astana weather-station normals. Rainfall: Astana 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 Astana
- Snowy daysIn DecemberTypical datesSnow likely Sep–May (most in Jan: ~25 days)
Average number of days with snowfall at Astana.
Source: Astana weather-station normals (national weather service, via Wikipedia climate table)
Explore AstanaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyKazakhstan's capital on the steppe, known for futuristic architecture built since the late 1990s and very cold winters.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
NauryzEvery year21–23 March every year
Spring new year celebrations with yurts and traditional food.
Why go: Several days of public holidays with yurts and events in squares.
Where: Citywide
Capital DayEvery year6 July every year
Celebrates Astana as the capital, with concerts and fireworks.
Why go: A public holiday with large events.
Where: Citywide
Bayterek
A tower with a golden sphere observation deck, symbolising the tree of life.
Khan Shatyr
A huge tent-shaped shopping and entertainment centre designed by Norman Foster.
Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
A pyramid building designed by Norman Foster.
Hazrat Sultan Mosque
One of the largest mosques in Central Asia.
Nur Alem
A large glass sphere pavilion from Expo 2017 that houses a museum of future energy.
National Museum of Kazakhstan
A large museum covering Kazakh history, gold artefacts and culture.
Beshbarmak
Boiled meat on flat noodles, the national dish.
Kazy
Horse-meat sausage served at celebrations.
Baursak
Fried dough pieces served with tea.
Kurt
Dried, salted balls of fermented milk.
Felt crafts
Felt items with Kazakh patterns.
💡 Souvenir shops and markets
Kurt
Dried cheese balls in various flavours.
💡 Markets
Kazakh chocolate
Chocolate from Kazakh brands.
💡 Supermarkets
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
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