Turkey - weather in December

December is the first winter month in Türkiye. The climate varies greatly, given that it is mild on the coasts, especially the southern one (see Antalya, Mersin), while it is quite cold in eastern Thrace (see Edirne), cold on the Anatolian plateau (see Ankara), and very cold in the eastern part and at high altitudes (see Erzurum, Van).

On the plateau, the average temperature is 2 °C (35.5 °F) in Ankara, at 900 metres (2,950 feet), and 1.5 °C (34.5 °F) in Cappadocia (see Kayseri), just above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), while it drops to 0 °C (32 °F) or below at higher altitudes (Erzurum, Van). On the coast, the coldest area is that of Istanbul, with an average of 8 °C (46.5 °F), while the eastern part of the Black Sea coast (see Trabzon) is a little milder, with an average of 10 °C (50 °F). On the coast of the Aegean Sea (see Trabzon), the average is 9/10 °C (48/50 °F), while in the south, on the coast of the eastern Mediterranean (see Antalya, Mersin), the average reaches 12/13 °C (53/55 °F).
Sometimes there can be cold waves from Russia, during which the temperature can drop to -15/-20 °C (-4/5 °F) on the plateau around 1,000 meters or 3,300 feet (see Ankara, Cappadocia), and even below -30 °C (-22 °F) in the eastern part and at high altitudes (see Erzurum). On the coasts the effects are more limited, however, it can snow on the Black Sea coast, especially in the western part (see Istanbul), and more rarely on the Aegean coast (see Izmir).

As for precipitation, it is generally quite weak on the plateau, where it occurs more easily in the form of snow. Instead, on the coasts the rains are quite frequent, and are moderate to relatively abundant, but locally they are also very abundant, above 200 millimeters or 8 inches (see Antalya, on the south coast, and Rize, in the easternmost part of the Black Sea coast).

Turkey is located at medium latitudes, however, in December the days are quite short, especially in the north, where the sun remains above the horizon for just over 9 hours a day. In the Northern Hemisphere, December is the month when the days are shortest, and December 21st is the winter solstice.




See also: Turkey, the weather in November - January
The climate of Turkey