Elista climate
Elista (Kalmykiya Republic, Russia) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C51 °F, and about 381 mm15 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Elista climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −130 | −818 | −424 | 251.0 | 30 |
| Feb | 133 | −719 | −326 | 251.0 | 26 |
| Mar | 846 | −327 | 337 | 331.3 | 23 |
| Apr | 1661 | 438 | 1050 | 251.0 | 5 |
| May | 2476 | 1152 | 1864 | 522.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 3086 | 1762 | 2374 | 391.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 3392 | 2067 | 2680 | 341.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 3290 | 1966 | 2678 | 200.8 | 0 |
| Sep | 2577 | 1254 | 1865 | 341.3 | 0 |
| Oct | 1660 | 541 | 1050 | 341.3 | 5 |
| Nov | 644 | −130 | 337 | 291.2 | 17 |
| Dec | 133 | −523 | −228 | 301.2 | 27 |
| Year | 3392 | −818 | 1151 | 38115 | 133 |
“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 | 89% | 69% | 1.2 | 8:59 |
| Feb | 86% | 67% | 2.0 | 10:16 |
| Mar | 77% | 64% | 3.2 | 11:46 |
| Apr | 67% | 57% | 4.9 | 13:30 |
| May | 60% | 52% | 6.1 | 14:58 |
| Jun | 49% | 48% | 6.8 | 15:46 |
| Jul | 44% | 43% | 6.5 | 15:26 |
| Aug | 41% | 38% | 5.9 | 14:09 |
| Sep | 54% | 46% | 4.3 | 12:28 |
| Oct | 70% | 56% | 2.7 | 10:48 |
| Nov | 83% | 65% | 1.3 | 9:20 |
| Dec | 89% | 70% | 0.9 | 8:37 |
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 Elista is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 20 °C67 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −1 °C30 °F and lows −8 °C18 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 30.8 °C55.5 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is dry, with about 381 mm15 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 33% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: August. The wettest month is May (52 mm2.1 in), the driest is August (20 mm0.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 41% in August to 89% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in May to 13 km/h (8 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 8.6 hours in December to 15.8 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Elista
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and September: average highs of 24 °C76 °F to 25 °C77 °F with 34 mm1.3 in to 52 mm2.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −1 °C30 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to 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 Elista
- Winter (December–February) — highs −130 to 1 °C33 °F, lows −818 to −5 °C23 °F, about 27 mm1.1 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 846 to 24 °C76 °F, lows −327 to 11 °C52 °F, about 37 mm1.5 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 3086 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1762 to 20 °C67 °F, about 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 644 to 25 °C77 °F, lows −130 to 12 °C54 °F, about 32 mm1.3 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 Elista compares
Compared with Volgodonsk, about 208 km to the northwest, Elista is on average 0.4 °C0.7 °F warmer and receives 16% less precipitation (381 mm15 in vs 456 mm18 in). The difference is largest in July (0.9 °C1.6 °F warmer).
Of the 169 places in Russia covered by World Climates, Elista is the 21st warmest by annual mean temperature and the 158th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Russia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Nikopol (Ukraine, Dfa), Kryvyy Rih (Ukraine, Dfa) and Mykolayiv (Ukraine, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Volgodonsk 208 km · 10 °C51 °F · 456 mm18 in
- Stavropol 227 km · 10 °C50 °F · 578 mm23 in
- Nevinnomyssk 259 km · 12 °C53 °F · 641 mm25 in
- Volgograd 268 km · 9 °C49 °F · 370 mm15 in
- Pyatigorsk 268 km · 11 °C52 °F · 565 mm22 in
- Volzhsky 278 km · 9 °C48 °F · 372 mm15 in
- Armavir 284 km · 12 °C54 °F · 624 mm25 in
- Cherkessk 289 km · 12 °C53 °F · 742 mm29 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Elista?
July is the warmest month in Elista, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Elista?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -1 °C (30 °F) and an average low of -8 °C (18 °F).
When does it rain the most in Elista?
May is the wettest month with about 52 mm (2.1 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 20 mm (0.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Elista?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and 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 — most of all 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.