Nalchik climate
Nalchik (Kabardino-Balkariya Republic, Russia) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 12 °C53 °F, and about 733 mm29 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Nalchik climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 438 | −425 | 032 | 321.3 | 28 |
| Feb | 642 | −326 | 134 | 291.1 | 23 |
| Mar | 1152 | 033 | 642 | 562.2 | 16 |
| Apr | 1661 | 541 | 1151 | 652.5 | 4 |
| May | 2271 | 1253 | 1762 | 1003.9 | 0 |
| Jun | 2678 | 1661 | 2169 | 1104.3 | 0 |
| Jul | 2883 | 1865 | 2374 | 843.3 | 0 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1865 | 2374 | 652.5 | 0 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1356 | 1865 | 572.3 | 0 |
| Oct | 1763 | 745 | 1254 | 572.2 | 2 |
| Nov | 1050 | 235 | 643 | 451.8 | 11 |
| Dec | 541 | −228 | 134 | 341.3 | 23 |
| Year | 2883 | −425 | 1253 | 73329 | 106 |
“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 | 76% | 70% | 1.7 | 9:17 |
| Feb | 74% | 72% | 2.5 | 10:26 |
| Mar | 71% | 77% | 3.1 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 70% | 73% | 4.3 | 13:22 |
| May | 72% | 71% | 5.1 | 14:41 |
| Jun | 71% | 68% | 5.6 | 15:24 |
| Jul | 68% | 64% | 5.6 | 15:06 |
| Aug | 65% | 59% | 5.2 | 13:57 |
| Sep | 69% | 60% | 4.0 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 74% | 62% | 2.8 | 10:56 |
| Nov | 75% | 64% | 1.8 | 9:36 |
| Dec | 76% | 66% | 1.5 | 8:58 |
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 Nalchik is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 18 °C65 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 4 °C38 °F and lows −4 °C25 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 23.5 °C42.3 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 733 mm29 in. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 40% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (110 mm4.3 in), the driest is February (29 mm1.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 65% in August to 76% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in December to 7 km/h (5 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.4 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in November–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 18 cm).
Best time to visit Nalchik
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are July–September: average highs of 24 °C75 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 57 mm2.3 in to 84 mm3.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 4 °C38 °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 Nalchik
- Winter (December–February) — highs 438 to 6 °C42 °F, lows −425 to −2 °C28 °F, about 32 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1152 to 22 °C71 °F, lows 033 to 12 °C53 °F, about 74 mm2.9 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 2678 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1661 to 18 °C65 °F, about 86 mm3.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1050 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 235 to 13 °C56 °F, about 53 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Nalchik compares
Compared with Vladikavkaz, about 99 km to the southeast, Nalchik has practically the same average temperature and receives 7% less precipitation (733 mm29 in vs 790 mm31 in). The difference is largest in November (0.8 °C1.5 °F cooler).
Of the 169 places in Russia covered by World Climates, Nalchik is the 15th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 46th 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: Piteşti (Romania, Dfa), Sofia (Bulgaria, Dfa) and Oradea (Romania, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Pyatigorsk 76 km · 11 °C52 °F · 565 mm22 in
- Kislovodsk 86 km · 10 °C50 °F · 643 mm25 in
- Nazran 98 km · 13 °C55 °F · 739 mm29 in
- Vladikavkaz 99 km · 12 °C53 °F · 790 mm31 in
- Sunzha (Ordzhonikidzevskaya) 117 km · 12 °C53 °F · 669 mm26 in
- Cherkessk 150 km · 12 °C53 °F · 742 mm29 in
- Kutaisi 156 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,060 mm42 in
- Grozny 169 km · 13 °C56 °F · 558 mm22 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Nalchik?
July is the warmest month in Nalchik, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
What is the coldest month in Nalchik?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 4 °C (38 °F) and an average low of -4 °C (25 °F).
When does it rain the most in Nalchik?
June is the wettest month with about 110 mm (4.3 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 29 mm (1.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Nalchik?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are July–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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 641 m, while Nalchik lies at about 464 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.2 °C2.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.