Seasons of the Year Seasons in St. Petersburg
There’s extreme lack of sunlight in the city. Annual amount of sunny days is only 60 and the rest of the year is cloudy. Climate is moderate here with humid snowy winters and warm summers. Storms and floods are quite usual for St. Petersburg.
Between late May and middle of June there are so called White Nights when amount of sunlight hours per day reaches almost 19 hours. Anyway climate of the city is formed by lack of sunlight, nearby massive bodies of water (Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Finland) and local cyclones. Annual amount of precipitation is 660 mm (26”) which is by the way almost same as in London.
The city is magnificent with any weather yet all its charms are revealing at period of White Nights. Thus it is better to plan visit at May or June especially if it is first.
Seasons
Contents:
Spring in St. Petersburg
Beginning of spring in the city is spoiled by damp weather and chill wind that goes deep into bones. Combined with high humidity such weather may seem very cold. Thus March is rather winter month in terms of weather conditions. First warming comes in the middle of April. Since this time temperature usually never goes below 0 °C (32 °F). Yet there is still probability of graupel though it is melting before even reached the ground.
At May sky becomes clear more often. By the end of the month loans are becoming green and primroses are blooming. Even frequent thunders aren’t spoiling high spirits of awaited warming.
Climate of the Spring Months
| March Max average t°: +1 °C (33 °F) Min average t°: -6 °C (21 °F) Water t°: +1 °C (34 °F) Sundial in the day: 4 hours Snowy/Rainy days: 2 days Precipitation: 28 mm (1.1") |
| April Max average t°: +8 °C (47 °F) Min average t°: 0 °C (32 °F) Water t°: +2 °C (36 °F) Sundial in the day: 6 hours Rainy days: 4 days Precipitation: 47 mm (1.9") |
| May Max average t°: +15 °C (60 °F) Min average t°: +6 °C (42 °F) Water t°: +7 °C (45 °F) Sundial in the day: 10.5 hours Rainy days: 3 days Precipitation: 41 mm (1.6") |
Spring Holidays
March 8: International Women’s Day
April 1st: April Fool’s Day
April 30: Labor Day holiday
May: “KotlinFest”, "Night of the Museums",
"Fountain Festival", «THALLIUM FESTIVAL».
May 1st: Labor Day
May 9: Victory Day
May 27: Day of the city
Summer in St. Petersburg
This season is warm with significant amount of precipitation at July and August. Though showers and hail are possible and at June. Those are caused by Atlantic cyclone which brings thunders and gusty winds too. At June people are go to the city for White Nights.
White nights are explained by high-latitude location of St. Petersburg. Since late May and to middle of June sun go only 9° below horizon causing merge of night and morning twilights. At July locals are sunbathing on local beaches and some of them are even swimming despite chilly water with only 13 °C (55 °F). At august average daytime temperature goes sown after reaching peak of 22 °C (76 °F).
Climate of the Summer Months
| June Max average t°: +20 °C (69 °F) Min average t°: +11 °C (52 °F) Water t°: +12 °C (54 °F) Sundial in the day: 12 hours Rainy days: 4 days Precipitation: 46 mm (1.8") |
| July Max average t°: +22 °C (72 °F) Min average t°: +13 °C (56 °F) Water t°: +17 °C (63 °F) Sundial in the day: 12 hours Rainy days: 5 days Precipitation: 59 mm (2.3") |
| August Max average t°: +20.5 °C (69 °F) Min average t°: +12 °C (54 °F) Water t°: +18 °C (64 °F) Sundial in the day: 10 hours Rainy days: 5 days Precipitation: 72 mm (2.8") |
Summer Holidays
June: "Imperial Gardens of Russia", "Scarlet Sails".
June 1st: International Children's Day
June 6: Pushkin’s Day (Day of Russian language)
June 12: National Russia’s Day
June 22: Day of Memory and Grief (beginning of WW II)
July 8: Day of Family, Love and Fidelity
July 12: Independence Day.
Last Sunday of the month: parade of warships during the celebration of the Russian Navy Day.
August 22: State Flag Day of the Russian Federation
August 27: Day of Russian Cinema, "OPEN CINEMA".
Autumn in St. Petersburg
Autumn in the city is rather uncertain. Usually first two weeks of September are Indian summer. However later at the month comes cooling. Frequency of showers increases causing high water. At October weather is stabilizes in state of cloudy with short periods of partly cloudiness. Frosts are possible at night. At November wet snow with rain is possible causing ice-crust on the ground.
As for daytime temperature it gradually decreases from 15 °C (59 °F) at September to 2 °C (36 °F) at November. At last month of autumn nighttime temperature even drops to –2 °C (28 °F). Due to type of weather city is often called “Russian London” so everyone familiar with climate of the capital of Great Britain is basically familiar with weather of St. Petersburg.
Climate of the Autumn Months
| September Max average t°: +14.5 °C (58 °F) Min average t°: +8 °C (46 °F) Water t°: +15 °C (59 °F) Sundial in the day: 7 hours Rainy days: 4 days Precipitation: 46 mm (1.8") |
| October Max average t°: +8 °C (46 °F) Min average t°: +3 °C (37 °F) Water t°: +9 °C (48 °F) Sundial in the day: 4 hours Rainy days: 3 days Precipitation: 42 mm (1.7") |
| November Max average t°: +2 °C (35 °F) Min average t°: -2 °C (28 °F) Water t°: +5 °C (41 °F) Sundial in the day: 2 hour Rainy/Snowy days: 2 days Precipitation: 45 mm (1.8") |
Autumn Holidays
September 1: Day of Knowledge
September 3: Day of solidarity in the fight against terrorism
September 27: World Tourism Day
October 1st: Day of Older Persons
October 30: Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression
November 4 – Day of Unity.
November 5 – Day of Unity Holiday.
Last Sunday of November: Mother’s Day
Winter in St. Petersburg
There are no actual severe frosts in the city at winter. However due to high humidity even moderate negative temperature (below 32 °F) are seemed to be exceptionally cold. Occasionally it is snowy and then string of prolonged showers occurs. Sometimes weather surprises oppositely sudden thaws. Average daytime temperature gradually decreases to –5 °C (23 °F) at middle of January and then slowly crawls up.
Climate of the Winter Months
| December Max average t°: -2 °C (28 °F) Min average t°: -7 °C (19 °F) Water t°: +3 °C (37 °F) Sundial in the day: 1.4 hour Snowy days: 3 days Precipitation: 45 mm (1.7") |
| January Max average t°: -5 °C (23 °F) Min average t°: -10 °C (14 °F) Water t°: +1 °C (34 °F) Sundial in the day: 1.5 hour Snowy days: 2 days Precipitation: 36 mm (1.4") |
| February Max average t°: -4 °C (24 °F) Min average t°: -10 °C (14 °F) Water t°: +1 °C (34 °F) Sundial in the day: 1.9 hours Snowy days: 2 days Precipitation: 29 mm (1.1") |
Winter Holidays
December 12: Constitution Day of the Russian Federation
December 31: New Year’s Eve
January 1-6,8: New Year holidays
January 7: Christmas
January 25: Tatyana's Day (a holiday for all students)
February 8: Day of Russian Science
February 23: Day of the Defender of Fatherland
