This report describes the typical weather at the Norilsk Airport (Norilsk, Russian Federation) weather station over the course of an average year. It is based on the historical records from 2006 to 2012. Earlier records are either unavailable or unreliable.

Norilsk has a humid subarctic continental climate with cool summers and no dry season. The area within 25 mi of this station is covered by tundra (94%) and lakes and rivers (6%).

Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from -22°F to 64°F and is rarely below -39°F or above 75°F.

Daily High and Low Temperature

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The daily average low (blue) and high (red) temperature with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile).

The warm season lasts from June 10 to September 3 with an average daily high temperature above 49°F. The hottest day of the year is July 13, with an average high of 64°F and low of 50°F.

The cold season lasts from November 16 to March 17 with an average daily high temperature below 5°F. The coldest day of the year is February 12, with an average low of -22°F and high of -10°F.

Fraction of Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands

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The average fraction of time spent in various temperature bands: frigid (below 15°F), freezing (15°F to 32°F), cold (32°F to 50°F), cool (50°F to 65°F), comfortable (65°F to 75°F), warm (75°F to 85°F), hot (85°F to 100°F) and sweltering (above 100°F).

The length of the day varies significantly over the course of the year. The shortest day is December 21 with 0:00 hours of daylight; the longest day is June 20 with 24:00 hours of daylight.

Due to its extreme latitude, Norilsk experiences polar day (also known as the midnight Sun) during summer and polar night during winter. The precise start and end dates of polar day and night vary from year to year and depend on the precise location and elevation of the observer, and the local topography.

In summer, the Sun is continuously above the horizon for 64 days, from May 20 to July 23.

In winter, the Sun is continuously below the horizon for 45 days, from November 29 to January 13.

Daily Hours of Daylight and Twilight

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The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line), with various degrees of daylight, twilight, and night, indicated by the color bands. From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray): full daylight, solar twilight (Sun is visible but less than 6° from the horizon), civil twilight (Sun is not visible but is less than 6° below the horizon), nautical twilight (Sun is between 6° and 12° below the horizon), astronomical twilight (Sun is between 12° and 18° below the horizon), and full night.

Daylight saving time (DST) is not observed in 2012.

Daily Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight

The solar day over the course of the year 2012 . From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (solar, civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray.

The median cloud cover ranges from 83% (mostly cloudy) to 96% (overcast). The sky is cloudiest on January 2 and clearest on February 26. The clearer part of the year begins around January 26. The cloudier part of the year begins around April 17.

Median Cloud Cover

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The median daily cloud cover (black line) with percentile bands (inner band from 40th to 60th percentile, outer band from 25th to 75th percentile).

On February 26, the clearest day of the year, the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 22% of the time, and overcast or mostly cloudy 46% of the time.

On January 2, the cloudiest day of the year, the sky is overcast, mostly cloudy, or partly cloudy 75% of the time, and clear or mostly clear 6% of the time.

Cloud Cover Types

The fraction of time spent in each of the five sky cover categories. From top (most blue) to bottom (most gray), the categories are clear, mostly clear, partly cloudy, mostly cloudy, and overcast. Pink indicates missing data. Outside of the United States clear skies are often reported ambiguously, leading them to be lumped in with the missing data.

The probability that precipitation will be observed at this location varies throughout the year. Precipitation is most likely around October 17, occurring in 79% of days. Precipitation is least likely around July 11, occurring in 47% of days.

Probability of Precipitation at Some Point in the Day

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The fraction of days in which various types of precipitation are observed. If more than one type of precipitation is reported in a given day, the more severe precipitation is counted. For example, if light rain is observed in the same day as a thunderstorm, that day counts towards the thunderstorm totals. The order of severity is from the top down in this graph, with the most severe at the bottom.

Over the entire year, the most common forms of precipitation are moderate snow, light snow, and light rain.

Moderate snow is the most severe precipitation observed during 44% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around December 29, when it is observed during 52% of all days.

Light snow is the most severe precipitation observed during 24% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around October 28, when it is observed during 27% of all days.

Light rain is the most severe precipitation observed during 24% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around August 12, when it is observed during 47% of all days.

Types of Precipitation Throughout the Year

Relative frequency of various types of precipitation over the course of a typical year.

During the warm season, which lasts from June 10 to September 3, there is a 52% average chance that precipitation will be observed at some point during a given day. When precipitation does occur it is most often in the form of light rain (76% of days with precipitation have at worst light rain) and light snow (8%).

During the cold season, which lasts from November 16 to March 17, there is a 66% average chance that precipitation will be observed at some point during a given day. When precipitation does occur it is most often in the form of moderate snow (66% of days with precipitation have at worst moderate snow), light snow (24%), and heavy snow (10%).

Warm Season Precipitation

Cold Season Precipitation

Relative frequency of various types of precipitation during the warm and cold seasons respectively.

The likelihood of snow falling is highest around November 30, occurring in 75% of days. The season in which it is relatively likely for snow to fall spans from September 15 to June 12.

Probability of Snow Fall Being Reported in a Given Day

Probability that snow will be reported at least once in a given day. The season is defined as the period during which the probability is greater than one third the maximum probability.

Either snow rarely accumulates at this location or snow depth measurements are unavailable or unreliable.

The relative humidity typically ranges from 49% (comfortable) to 97% (very humid) over the course of the year, rarely dropping below 33% (comfortable) and reaching as high as 100% (very humid).

The air is driest around July 1, at which time the relative humidity drops below 58% (mildly humid) three days out of four; it is most humid around October 9, exceeding 96% (very humid) three days out of four.

Relative Humidity

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The average daily high (blue) and low (brown) relative humidity with percentile bands (inner bands from 25th to 75th percentile, outer bands from 10th to 90th percentile).

Dew point is often a better measure of how comfortable a person will find the weather than relative humidity because it more directly relates to whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid.

Over the course of a year, the dew point typically varies from -29°F (dry) to 51°F (very comfortable) and is rarely below -46°F (dry) or above 58°F (comfortable).

Dew Point

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The daily average low (blue) and high (red) dew point with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile).

Over the course of the year typical wind speeds vary from 3 mph to 18 mph (light air to fresh breeze), rarely exceeding 69 mph (violent storm).

The highest average wind speed of 14 mph (moderate breeze) occurs around December 26, at which time the average daily maximum wind speed is 18 mph (fresh breeze).

The lowest average wind speed of 8 mph (gentle breeze) occurs around August 14, at which time the average daily maximum wind speed is 11 mph (gentle breeze).

Wind Speed

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The average daily minimum (red), maximum (green), and average (black) wind speed with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile).

Wind Directions Over the Entire Year

The fraction of time spent with the wind blowing from the various directions over the entire year. Values do not sum to 100% because the wind direction is undefined when the wind speed is zero.

Fraction of Time Spent with Various Wind Directions

The fraction of time spent with the wind blowing from the various directions on a daily basis. Stacked values do not always sum to 100% because the wind direction is undefined when the wind speed is zero.