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Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
The climate of Tiksi is
polar (according to the Köppen classification, tundra climate, ET), with long, cold winters and very cool summers.
Tiksi is a town of 4,500 inhabitants located in northern Siberia, in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), on the coast of the Buor-Khaya Gulf, belonging to the Laptev Sea, and at 71 degrees north latitude. It is the northernmost port in Russia.
The Lena River passes 55 km (34 mi) to the west, and then flows into the sea in a large delta.
The
wind blows often and with considerable intensity, although it decreases a bit from May to August.
From May to August,
fog can form.
The
sea is frozen solid from November to May; remember that being salted, sea water freezes at about -2 °C (28.5 °F).
Precipitation is scarce, around 320 mm (13 in) per year. It occurs in the form of snow from October to May. In June and September, rain alternates with snow, while in July and August it almost never snows.
Winter is long and cold. The average daily temperature is around or below freezing from October to May. The average for February is around -31 °C (-24 °F). Light snow often falls. Sometimes, however, from December to February, and more rarely in March, there can be heavy snowfall.
During
cold spells, the temperature drops to -40 °C (-40 °F) or below every year.
The record low is -50.5 °C (-58.9 °F), set in February 2002.
In some months, the average minimum has been below -40 °C (-40 °F).
Summer, from June to August, is quite cold, with rain, wind and fog quite frequent. July and August are the only months with a fairly mild average temperature, around 8/8.5 °C (46/47 °F).
Especially from mid-June to early August, there can also be
warm periods, generally of short duration, during which the temperature can reach or exceed 25 °C (77 °F), and more rarely 30 °C (86 °F). The record is 34.3 °C (93.7 °F), set in July 1991. More recently, the temperature reached 32 °C (89.6 °F) in July 2022.
Since we are at the 71st parallel, therefore north of the Arctic Circle, the sun does not rise (
polar night) from November 18 to January 24, and does not set (midnight sun) from May 10 to August 2. Before and after the midnight sun, the
white nights, in which it does not get completely dark even at midnight, occur from April 6 to September 5.
Tiksi - Climate data
In Tiksi, the
average temperature of the coldest month (February) is of -30.8 °C (-23.4 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 8.7 °C (47.6 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Tiksi - Average temperatures (1991-2013) |
| Month | Min | Max | Mean |
|---|
| January | -33.2 | -26.1 | -29.7 |
|---|
| February | -34.3 | -27.2 | -30.8 |
|---|
| March | -31.3 | -22.7 | -27 |
|---|
| April | -23.3 | -13.2 | -18.2 |
|---|
| May | -9.2 | -2 | -5.6 |
|---|
| June | 0.3 | 7.2 | 3.8 |
|---|
| July | 4.5 | 12.8 | 8.7 |
|---|
| August | 5 | 11.5 | 8.2 |
|---|
| September | -1 | 4.3 | 1.6 |
|---|
| October | -13.8 | -7.5 | -10.7 |
|---|
| November | -26.3 | -19.4 | -22.8 |
|---|
| December | -31.4 | -24.8 | -28.1 |
|---|
| Year | -16 | -8.8 | -12.4 |
|---|
amounts to 320 millimeters (12.6 inches) per year: it is therefore scarce. It ranges from 8.2 mm (0.3 in) in the driest month (April) to 51.6 mm (2 in) in the wettest one (August). Here is the average precipitation.
Tiksi - Average precipitation| Month | Days |
|---|
| January | 30 | 6 |
|---|
| February | 20 | 4 |
|---|
| March | 12 | 4 |
|---|
| April | 8 | 2 |
|---|
| May | 13 | 4 |
|---|
| June | 29 | 7 |
|---|
| July | 48 | 8 |
|---|
| August | 52 | 9 |
|---|
| September | 28 | 7 |
|---|
| October | 15 | 5 |
|---|
| November | 20 | 5 |
|---|
| December | 44 | 7 |
|---|
| Year | 320 | 68 |
|---|
The
sea temperature ranges from -1.5 °C (29 °F) in January, February, March, April, December to 3 °C (37 °F) in August, September. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Tiksi - Sea temperature| Month |
|---|
| January | -1.5-1.5 |
|---|
| February | -1.5 |
|---|
| March | -1.5 |
|---|
| April | -1.5 |
|---|
| May | -1 |
|---|
| June | 0.5 |
|---|
| July | 2.5 |
|---|
| August | 3 |
|---|
| September | 3 |
|---|
| October | 0 |
|---|
| November | -1"> |
|---|
| December | -1.5 |
|---|
| Year | -0.1 |
|---|
There are on average around 1455
sunshine hours per year. Here are the average hours of sunshine per day.
Tiksi - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
| January | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| February | 1.5 | 40 |
|---|
| March | 5.5 | 175 |
|---|
| April | 9 | 275 |
|---|
| May | 6.5 | 200 |
|---|
| June | 8 | 240 |
|---|
| July | 8 | 245 |
|---|
| August | 4.5 | 135 |
|---|
| September | 3 | 85 |
|---|
| October | 1.5 | 55 |
|---|
| November | 0 | 5 |
|---|
| December | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Year | 4 | 1455 |
|---|
Tiksi - Weather by month
Based on the period 1991-2013
January is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of
-29.7 °C, with a minimum of
-33.2 °C and a maximum of
-26.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-43 °C. However, it dropped to
-46.8 °C in January 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
-16 °C. However, it reached
-9 °C in January 2009.
Precipitation amounts to
29.8 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 0 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are very short.
There are on average 0 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 0% of the time.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
21.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
-1.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
February, the coldest month of the year, is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of -30.8 °C, with a minimum of -34.3 °C and a maximum of -27.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -43.5 °C. However, it dropped to -50.5 °C in February 2002.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around -16.5 °C. However, it reached -10 °C in February 1995.
Precipitation amounts to 19.7 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 6 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are short.
There are on average 1.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 22% of the time.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 19.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of -1.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
March is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of -27 °C, with a minimum of -31.3 °C and a maximum of -22.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -41.5 °C. However, it dropped to -47.2 °C in March 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around -9 °C. However, it reached 1.6 °C in March 2011.
Precipitation amounts to 11.5 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 49% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 15.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of -1.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
April is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of -18.2 °C, with a minimum of -23.3 °C and a maximum of -13.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -34.5 °C. However, it dropped to -40.1 °C in April 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around -1 °C. However, it reached 9.6 °C in April 2011.
Precipitation amounts to only 8.2 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 16 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 14.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of -1.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
May is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of -5.6 °C, with a minimum of -9.2 °C and a maximum of -2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -21.5 °C. However, it dropped to -29.2 °C in May 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 8 °C. However, it reached 19.4 °C in May 2012.
Precipitation amounts to 13.1 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 23 hours and 20 minutes. So the days are very long.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 28% of the time.
The average humidity is 85%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 16.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of -1.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
June is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of 3.8 °C, with a minimum of 0.3 °C and a maximum of 7.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -4.5 °C. However, it dropped to -10.1 °C in June 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 21.5 °C. However, it reached 29.9 °C in June 2002.
Precipitation amounts to 28.6 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 24 hours. So the sun is always above the horizon.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 33% of the time.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 16.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of 0.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
July, the least cold month of the year, is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of 8.7 °C, with a minimum of 4.5 °C and a maximum of 12.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around 0 °C. However, it dropped to -2.1 °C in July 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 26.5 °C. However, it reached 34.3 °C in July 1991.
Precipitation amounts to 47.8 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 24 hours. So the sun is always above the horizon.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 33% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 15.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of 2.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
August is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of 8.2 °C, with a minimum of 5 °C and a maximum of 11.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around 0 °C. However, it dropped to -3.2 °C in August 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 23.5 °C. However, it reached 29.7 °C in August 1991.
Precipitation amounts to 51.6 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 19 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are very long.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 22% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 16.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of 2.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
September is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of 1.6 °C, with a minimum of -1 °C and a maximum of 4.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -9 °C. However, it dropped to -17.4 °C in September 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 12 °C. However, it reached 16.8 °C in September 1993.
Precipitation amounts to 27.9 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 3 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 21% of the time.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 18.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of 2.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
October is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of -10.7 °C, with a minimum of -13.8 °C and a maximum of -7.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -26.5 °C. However, it dropped to -34.4 °C in October 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 1.5 °C. However, it reached 5 °C in October 2000.
Precipitation amounts to 15.2 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 1.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 20% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 18.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of 0.1 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
November is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of -22.8 °C, with a minimum of -26.3 °C and a maximum of -19.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -36 °C. However, it dropped to -43.9 °C in November 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around -9 °C. However, it reached -0.1 °C in November 2012.
Precipitation amounts to 20.1 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 2 hours and 5 minutes. So the days are very short.
There are on average 0 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 6% of the time.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 17.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of -1.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
December is generally a freezing cold month. The average temperature is of -28.1 °C, with a minimum of -31.4 °C and a maximum of -24.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -41 °C. However, it dropped to -48.8 °C in December 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around -14.5 °C. However, it reached -7.7 °C in December 2003.
Precipitation amounts to 44 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 0 hours and 0 minutes. So the sun is always below the horizon.
The average humidity is 81%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of 22 kph.
The average sea temperature is of -1.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.