Magadan weather in December
December in Magadan: freezing, a little rain, with clean air — not the time — well below freezing.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#12 of 12 months in Magadan · #1393 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 24/100 (tier F)
- Days
- -15°C
- Nights
- -19°C
- Wet days
- 8
- Sun
- 2.1 h
- Humidity
- 72%
- Daylight
- 6 h
Traveller notes on Magadan in December
Other months in Magadan
Forum posters discussing the road trip across Siberia into the Magadan region describe January conditions along that remote overland route as capable of reaching -40 to -50C, extreme even by Russian Far East standards - posters frame winter travel there less as a question of if something goes wrong than when. Magadan city itself, sitting on the Sea of Okhotsk coast, runs meaningfully milder than that inland-route extreme thanks to its maritime influence, though still firmly a deep-winter climate. Posters are consistent that this is a genuinely remote, infrastructure-light part of Russia where winter travel demands serious preparation regardless of the exact temperature on a given day. Posters generally rate January as an extreme cold-weather month for the wider Magadan region, with the coastal city itself somewhat less severe than the harsh overland route leading to it.
Forum posters describe the wider Russian Far East around Magadan as sparsely populated wilderness even along its main highways, with posters specifically noting that this far northeastern corner of the country, much closer to the Arctic than Moscow or St. Petersburg, runs meaningfully cooler in July than the 20-30C summer temperatures posters describe for central Russia at the same time of year. Posters don't detail exact Magadan temperatures, but the general consensus among posters discussing Russia's regional climate differences is that a July visit here calls for real layers rather than the light summer clothing that would suit Moscow, given the far higher latitude and the Sea of Okhotsk's cooling coastal influence.
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Magadan climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Magadan 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.
BusyNew Year holidays, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Magadan'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 weatherMagadan's weather peaks June–August, best around July.
December coincides with Deep winter.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Magadan in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Deep winter
1 Dec – 5 Mar · usuallyExtreme coldCoastal, so milder than the Kolyma interior behind it, but still months of hard frost with wind coming straight off the frozen sea. The town was built by prisoners in this weather, which is the whole story of the place.
- Festival
Magadan Crystal ice sculptures
5–25 Dec · usuallyIce seasonAn international ice sculpture contest held every December since 2007, with carvers from Yakutia, Khabarovsk and St Petersburg. The lit sculptures stay up along the centre through the New Year holidays. Source ↗
- Season
Sea of Okhotsk frozen
15 Dec – 20 Apr · usuallyIce seasonThe bay freezes over for a third of the year and people simply walk out onto it; icebreakers keep a lane open for the port. Standing on sea ice with the town behind you is the local thing to do.
- Holiday
New Year holidays
31 Dec – 8 Jan · usuallyNational holidayClosuresBook earlyThe longest break of the Russian year: usually the first eight days of January or more are non-working. Offices, banks and many services close, while trains, flights and hotels fill with holidaying families at peak fares. Source ↗
- Season
Snow season
Ski seasonAbout 63 cm of snow falls in the month.
from the climate normals
Where is Magadan?
Magadan in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Magadan?
- December in Magadan: freezing, a little rain, with clean air — not the time — well below freezing. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Magadan on SeasonMap's comfort score (24/100).
- What is the weather like in Magadan in December?
- In December, Magadan averages a daily high of -14.7°C and a low of -18.9°C, with about 36.2 mm of rain over roughly 7.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Magadan in December?
- Magadan has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 36 in December.
- Does it snow in Magadan in December?
- Magadan sees roughly 62.5 cm of snowfall in December.