Donetsk climate
Donetsk (Ukraine) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 9 °C48 °F, and about 530 mm21 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Donetsk climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −228 | −916 | −622 | 532.1 | 30 |
| Feb | −131 | −817 | −424 | 421.6 | 26 |
| Mar | 643 | −326 | 135 | 401.6 | 24 |
| Apr | 1458 | 337 | 947 | 391.5 | 6 |
| May | 2271 | 1050 | 1660 | 491.9 | 0 |
| Jun | 2780 | 1458 | 2169 | 592.3 | 0 |
| Jul | 3086 | 1763 | 2474 | 491.9 | 0 |
| Aug | 3086 | 1662 | 2374 | 321.3 | 0 |
| Sep | 2373 | 1051 | 1762 | 371.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 1458 | 338 | 948 | 371.5 | 6 |
| Nov | 643 | −229 | 236 | 441.7 | 18 |
| Dec | 032 | −621 | −326 | 471.9 | 27 |
| Year | 3086 | −916 | 948 | 53021 | 137 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 93% | 82% | 1.0 | 8:47 |
| Feb | 91% | 78% | 1.9 | 10:09 |
| Mar | 81% | 70% | 3.1 | 11:45 |
| Apr | 74% | 63% | 4.5 | 13:35 |
| May | 69% | 57% | 5.8 | 15:09 |
| Jun | 61% | 55% | 6.4 | 16:01 |
| Jul | 54% | 50% | 6.3 | 15:40 |
| Aug | 48% | 44% | 5.6 | 14:17 |
| Sep | 57% | 53% | 3.9 | 12:30 |
| Oct | 71% | 64% | 2.3 | 10:44 |
| Nov | 84% | 76% | 1.1 | 9:10 |
| Dec | 91% | 83% | 0.7 | 8:23 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Donetsk is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 17 °C63 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −2 °C28 °F and lows −9 °C16 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 29.1 °C52.4 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 530 mm21 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is June (59 mm2.3 in), the driest is August (32 mm1.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 48% in August to 93% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 44%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in July to 14 km/h (9 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 8.4 hours in December to 16.0 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–March. In those months the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm. It is deepest in January, at about 18 cm.
Best time to visit Donetsk
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–September. Average highs then reach 22 °C71 °F to 30 °C86 °F. Precipitation is 32 mm1.3 in to 59 mm2.3 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −2 °C28 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Donetsk
- Winter (December–February) — highs −228 to 0 °C32 °F, lows −916 to −6 °C21 °F, about 47 mm1.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 643 to 22 °C71 °F, lows −326 to 10 °C50 °F, about 43 mm1.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2780 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 1458 to 17 °C63 °F, about 47 mm1.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 643 to 23 °C73 °F, lows −229 to 10 °C51 °F, about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Donetsk compares
The nearest larger place is Rostov-on-Don, about 168 km to the southeast. Compared with it, Donetsk is on average 1.9 °C3.3 °F cooler. It receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in January (2.3 °C4.1 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 41 places in Ukraine. By annual mean temperature, Donetsk is the 24th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 29th wettest. See all of them on the Ukraine climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Shakhty (Russia, Dfa), Bălţi (Moldova, Dfa) and Volgodonsk (Russia, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Climate in Makiyivka 10 km · 9 °C48 °F · 529 mm21 in
- Climate in Horlivka 35 km · 8 °C47 °F · 538 mm21 in
- Climate in Kramatorsk 81 km · 9 °C49 °F · 542 mm21 in
- Climate in Alchevsk 89 km · 9 °C47 °F · 536 mm21 in
- Climate in Slovyansk 93 km · 9 °C49 °F · 559 mm22 in
- Climate in Mariupol 105 km · 11 °C52 °F · 508 mm20 in
- Climate in Taganrog 120 km · 12 °C53 °F · 510 mm20 in
- Climate in Luhansk 127 km · 9 °C49 °F · 520 mm20 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Donetsk?
July is the warmest month in Donetsk. Its average high is 30 °C (86 °F) and its average low is 17 °C (63 °F).
What is the coldest month in Donetsk?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is -2 °C (28 °F) and its average low is -9 °C (16 °F).
When does it rain the most in Donetsk?
June is the wettest month with about 59 mm (2.3 in) of precipitation. August is the driest with about 32 mm (1.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Donetsk?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 173 m, while Donetsk lies at about 223 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.3 °C0.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.