Kars weather in February
February in Kars: freezing, a little rain, with clean air — a hit-or-miss time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#10 of 12 months in Kars · #1291 of 1413 destinations to visit in February · comfort 46/100 (tier F)
- Days
- 0°C
- Nights
- -13°C
- Wet days
- 7
- Sun
- 8.5 h
- Humidity
- 72%
- Daylight
- 11 h

Traveller notes on Kars in February
Notes from nearby Bakuriani (133 km away)
Kars doesn't have its own notes for February yet — these are about Bakuriani, close enough to share the season.
Forum posters name February as one of the best months for snow sports in Georgia's mountain resorts, with conditions generally milder and more settled than the colder depths of January. Posters describe a real temperature gap between the capital and the mountains: while Tbilisi itself might sit around 5C, Bakuriani and similar resort towns run notably colder, dropping further still after dark. Posters recommend staying at least one night in Bakuriani itself to make the most of its three main ski areas (Didveli, Kokhta and Tetri), alongside winter activities like snow biking and sledging, rather than treating it purely as a day trip from Tbilisi.
Other months in Kars
Forum posters are direct that January in Kars is extremely cold and most likely snowy, joking that the city's own name means 'snow' in Turkish and January is when it finds the most. Posters describe blowing snow as common with serious blizzards possible, and specifically warn that the road to the nearby Ani archaeological site can become blocked and closed by snow given the high, exposed terrain it crosses. Posters note visitors are likely to have sites largely to themselves this time of year given how few tourists brave the conditions. Posters generally rate January as genuinely severe, one of the harshest winter months anywhere in Turkey, workable only with full cold-weather gear and flexible plans around potential road closures.
Forum posters visiting the nearby Ani Ruins consistently describe July and summer generally as genuinely hot with brutal, direct sun and very little shade across the exposed archaeological site - posters recommend a sunhat, sunblock and plenty of water, with some suggesting an early start or a golf-cart rental to avoid the worst of the midday heat. Posters contrast this with Kars sitting on a high eastern Anatolian plateau, where the heat doesn't linger into the evening the way it would at lower elevation - the region's reputation as bitterly cold in winter gives way to a much milder, sunnier summer window. Posters generally recommend visiting Ani and the Kars area in the cooler parts of the day during summer, saving full midday exposure for a cloudier stretch if one comes along.
Add your own note from Kars's card on the map.
Kars climate normals — February
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Kars in February
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.
BusySemester (winter) break in Turkey, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Kars'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).
Toughest weatherKars's weather peaks July–September.
February coincides with Deep winter on the plateau.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Kars in February
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Cildir lake ice season
1 Jan – 28 Feb · usuallyThe lake an hour north freezes hard enough to stand on, and the Golden Horse Crystal Ice Festival runs horse-drawn sleighs, cirit and ice fishing on the ice each February. It is the day trip everyone makes from Kars in deep winter, and it needs a cold January. Source ↗
- Season
Deep winter on the plateau
1 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyExtreme coldFour months of lying snow on average at 1,800 m, and the town takes it seriously: double doors, stoves going all day, and roads out to Ani and the Georgian border that close without much warning. Source ↗
- Season
Sarikamis ski season
15 Dec – 31 Mar · usuallyBook earlyThe resort in the pine forest an hour southwest is the reason winter flights into Kars fill, and its dry crystal snow is the local boast. School holidays in late January and February are the weeks to avoid or to book early. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Kars — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Kars?
Kars in February — FAQ
- Is February a good time to visit Kars?
- February in Kars: freezing, a little rain, with clean air — a hit-or-miss time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Kars on SeasonMap's comfort score (46/100).
- What is the weather like in Kars in February?
- In February, Kars averages a daily high of -0.3°C and a low of -13.1°C, with about 30.5 mm of rain over roughly 6.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Kars in February?
- Kars has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 43 in February.
- Does it snow in Kars in February?
- Kars sees roughly 27.3 cm of snowfall in February.
Within 300 km: Mestia's Lamproba torch festival around 5–25 Feb, and Tbilisi's Caucasus ski season around 15 Dec – 10 Apr.