Bukhara weather in December
December in Bukhara: cold, dry, with clean air — a good time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#9 of 12 months in Bukhara · #860 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 65/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 9°C
- Nights
- -1°C
- Wet days
- 3
- Sun
- 6.9 h
- Humidity
- 68%
- Daylight
- 9 h

Traveller notes on Bukhara in December
Other months in Bukhara
Regulars call this a genuinely good time to visit, marking the tail end of the high tourist season, midday temperatures still comfortable in the mid-teens Celsius while nights drop toward freezing fast once the sun sets. Our row backs that cool, genuinely dry read, 14.4C over 2.1C nights feeling -1C, with rain light at 7.7mm across 2.4 days and a trace of very early snow, 0.2cm. Regulars are consistent conditions stay genuinely changeable, some days holding onto sunshine and warmth while others turn properly cold and overcast with little advance warning. Medium-warmth layers that can be added quickly after dark remain the standard advice regardless of how mild the day starts. The record: humidity 59 percent, 7.9 hours of sun, a 15.1 kph wind and AQI 44.
Regulars split this month sharply: the first week can still be wet and cold, sometimes even snow, while by late March the days turn genuinely warm, 15 to 20C, though nights still want real layers. Our row sits closer to the early-month caution, 18.2C reading as 15C over 6C nights feeling 3C, with a trace of snow, 0.2cm, and 27.8mm of rain across 6 days. Regulars name the trade-off for coming this early: fewer tourists, better prices, and the first trees flowering late in the month, against weather that has not fully settled. Temperatures across the region can differ significantly between cities on the same date, so layers matter more than any single forecast. The record: humidity 56 percent, 9 hours of sun, a 19.2 kph wind and AQI 53.
Uzbekistan-forum threads asking if August is simply too hot confirm temperatures regularly clearing the mid-90s to low-100s Fahrenheit across the country, Bukhara included, with posters calling it genuinely intense but manageable given how thoroughly air conditioning covers hotels, restaurants and other public places along the main tourist circuit. The defining feature regulars repeat is how fast the heat breaks after sunset - a punishing afternoon gives way to a pleasant evening by around 9:30pm, walkable rather than still sweltering. The heat itself is properly dry rather than humid, which several posters say makes even extreme daytime readings more bearable than a muggier climate at a lower number. The standing advice: stay hydrated, sightsee in the cooler morning and evening hours, treat midday as downtime. The record: a scorching 35.4C by day feeling like a punishing 33C, 20.7C nights, essentially no precipitation at all, a bone-dry 23 percent humidity and 12.5 hours of sun.
May is warm rather than hot in Uzbekistan and regulars make a point of the kind of heat: it is dry, never humid, which is what makes our row's 31.7C for Bukhara read as a milder 30C at 33 percent humidity. Evenings want no more than a light jacket. They rate May over September for two reasons that have nothing to do with temperature - September is the busiest tourist month, so May is quieter with better accommodation available, and the countryside is green with water still in the rivers and springs rather than burnt out. The weather is not guaranteed: a recent May trip had rain, cold, overcast and sunny days inside nine. Our row gives 10.5mm across 2.2 days. The record: 17C nights, 12.2 hours of sun and a 19.6 kph wind.
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Bukhara climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Bukhara in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Shoulder seasonschool holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Bukhara's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherBukhara's best weather comes in April, September and October — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Bukhara in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Winter quiet
1 Dec – 20 Feb · usuallyOff-season shutdownClosuresDamp cold and short days empty the old town of the coach groups almost entirely, leaving the kind of stillness around the trading domes that the tourism board now markets as its own reason to come. The madrasas are quiet enough to hear your own footsteps. Source ↗
Where is Bukhara?
Bukhara in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Bukhara?
- December in Bukhara: cold, dry, with clean air — a good time to visit. It ranks #9 of 12 months for Bukhara on SeasonMap's comfort score (65/100).
- What is the weather like in Bukhara in December?
- In December, Bukhara averages a daily high of 8.6°C and a low of -1.3°C, with about 9.8 mm of rain over roughly 3.4 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Bukhara in December?
- Bukhara has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 42 in December.