Russia
Saint Petersburg in December
❄️ Snowy winterCold and some showers.
🎒 Pack: winter coat, gloves & hat
Why December scores 6.1What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort4.7
- !Cold (0°C highs / -4°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -6.2°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~51 mm rain)
- !Grey, overcast skies (~87% cloud cover on average)
- Air quality7.7
- ✓Moderate (PM2.5 ~20 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline2.0
- ·Very high caution
| Dec | Jun | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.1 Fair | 8.8 Excellent |
| Season | ❄️ Snowy winter | ☀️ Summer |
| High / low | 0° / -4° | 21° / 12° |
| Rain | 51 mm | 69 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -6° | dew pt 12° |
| PM2.5 | 20 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Saint Petersburg weather-station normals. Rainfall: Saint Petersburg weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Holiday weekA long local holiday falls this month. Expect crowds at sights, fuller trains and flights, and higher hotel prices on those dates. Book ahead.
- New Year Holidays 31 Dec – 10 Jan · 11 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Nature calendarBlossoms, leaves & seasons in Saint Petersburg
- Snowy daysIn DecemberTypical datesSnow likely Oct–May (most in Jan: ~25 days)
Average number of days with snowfall at Saint Petersburg.
Source: Saint Petersburg weather-station normals (national weather service, via Wikipedia climate table)
Explore Saint PetersburgEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyRussia's second city, built by Peter the Great on the Neva delta, known for the Hermitage, imperial palaces, canals and summer White Nights.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
White NightsDate variesAround late May to mid-July
The sky never gets fully dark around midsummer.
Why go: Peak season; book early.
Where: Citywide
Scarlet SailsDate variesUsually late June
A celebration for school graduates with a ship with red sails and fireworks.
Why go: Huge crowds along the river.
Where: Neva River and Palace Square
Navy DayDate variesLast Sunday of July
Warships parade on the river.
Why go: Roads near the river close.
Where: Neva River
State Hermitage Museum
One of the world's largest art museums, partly housed in the Winter Palace.
Peterhof
A palace on the Gulf of Finland with gardens and cascading fountains.
💡 The fountains run in the warmer months only.
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
A church covered in mosaics, built where Alexander II was assassinated.
St Isaac's Cathedral
A huge domed cathedral with a colonnade offering city views.
Peter and Paul Fortress
The city's original fortress, with the cathedral holding the tombs of the tsars.
Drawbridges
Bridges over the Neva open at night to let ships pass.
💡 Bridges open only in the navigation season, roughly April to November; check you can get back to your hotel.
Blini
Thin pancakes with sweet or savoury fillings.
💡 Cafes
Pelmeni
Small meat dumplings.
💡 Cafes and restaurants
Borscht
Beetroot soup with sour cream.
💡 Restaurants
Pyshki
Doughnuts dusted with sugar, a local tradition.
💡 Old-style pyshechnaya cafes
Koryushka
Small fried smelt fish, popular in spring.
💡 Restaurants in spring
Matryoshka
Painted nesting dolls.
💡 Souvenir markets
Imperial Porcelain
Porcelain from the city's historic factory.
💡 Porcelain shops
Lacquer boxes
Hand-painted lacquered boxes.
💡 Craft shops
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
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