St Petersburg: When to Go

St Petersburg is a year-round destination. The city's northern latitude means long days in summer and long nights in winter - but in winter, hotels and tourist attractions are less crowded and there's a twinkling magic to the night sky. While the White Nights in mid-summer are undeniably beautiful, some people find them disconcerting.

Climate-wise, St Petersburg is much milder than its extreme northern latitude would suggest. January temperatures average -8°C (17°F); a really cold day will get down to -15°C (5°F). It's a windy city though and in some areas the wind chill is quite fierce, so bring a good warm hat and scarf. Summer is cool and takes a while to get going: snow in late April is not uncommon and the warm weather doesn't really start until the period between June and August, when temperatures reach 20°C (68°F). During these months the city is packed with foreign and Russian tourists.

Weather

St Petersburg experiences a maritime climate similar to the Baltic nations, having lighter winters and slightly cooler summers than other regions of Russia further east and inland. The real climatic culprit is the chilly Gulf of Finland wind, which makes a warm hat and scarf a necessity.

Temperature (average ° C)

Humidity (average %)

Rainfall (average mm)

Sunshine (average hrs per day)