Poltava climate
Poltava (Ukraine) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 8 °C47 °F, and about 580 mm23 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Poltava climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −326 | −1014 | −720 | 491.9 | 30 |
| Feb | −129 | −916 | −523 | 381.5 | 27 |
| Mar | 642 | −425 | 134 | 451.8 | 25 |
| Apr | 1458 | 337 | 947 | 351.4 | 7 |
| May | 2171 | 1050 | 1660 | 602.4 | 0 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1458 | 2068 | 682.7 | 0 |
| Jul | 2984 | 1762 | 2373 | 642.5 | 0 |
| Aug | 2984 | 1661 | 2272 | 381.5 | 0 |
| Sep | 2272 | 1050 | 1661 | 502.0 | 0 |
| Oct | 1356 | 337 | 847 | 471.8 | 7 |
| Nov | 541 | −229 | 235 | 401.6 | 18 |
| Dec | −131 | −720 | −425 | 481.9 | 28 |
| Year | 2984 | −1014 | 847 | 58023 | 142 |
“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 | 94% | 81% | 0.9 | 8:35 |
| Feb | 92% | 78% | 1.8 | 10:02 |
| Mar | 84% | 69% | 3.1 | 11:44 |
| Apr | 75% | 62% | 4.4 | 13:40 |
| May | 71% | 57% | 5.8 | 15:20 |
| Jun | 64% | 56% | 6.3 | 16:16 |
| Jul | 58% | 54% | 6.2 | 15:53 |
| Aug | 52% | 48% | 5.4 | 14:25 |
| Sep | 60% | 57% | 3.7 | 12:31 |
| Oct | 74% | 66% | 2.1 | 10:39 |
| Nov | 87% | 77% | 1.0 | 8:59 |
| Dec | 92% | 82% | 0.7 | 8:09 |
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 Poltava is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 29 °C84 °F and a low of 17 °C62 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −3 °C26 °F and lows −10 °C14 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 29.5 °C53 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 580 mm23 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is June (68 mm2.7 in), the driest is April (35 mm1.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 52% in August to 94% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 48%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in July to 12 km/h (8 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 8.2 hours in December to 16.3 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 22 cm.
Best time to visit Poltava
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–September. Average highs then reach 21 °C71 °F to 29 °C84 °F. Precipitation is 38 mm1.5 in to 68 mm2.7 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −3 °C26 °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 Poltava
- Winter (December–February) — highs −326 to −1 °C31 °F, lows −1014 to −7 °C20 °F, about 45 mm1.8 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 642 to 21 °C71 °F, lows −425 to 10 °C50 °F, about 46 mm1.8 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 2679 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 1458 to 17 °C62 °F, about 57 mm2.2 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 541 to 22 °C72 °F, lows −229 to 10 °C50 °F, about 46 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Poltava compares
The nearest larger place is Kharkiv, about 130 km to the east. Compared with it, Poltava has practically the same average temperature. It receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in February (0.5 °C1 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 41 places in Ukraine. By annual mean temperature, Poltava is the 28th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 16th 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 Belgorod (Russia, Dfa), Pinsk (Belarus, Dfb) and Brest (Belarus, Dfb).
Nearby places
- Climate in Kremenchuk 102 km · 10 °C49 °F · 550 mm22 in
- Climate in Kamyanske 119 km · 9 °C49 °F · 542 mm21 in
- Climate in Kharkiv 130 km · 8 °C47 °F · 584 mm23 in
- Climate in Dnipro 130 km · 9 °C49 °F · 549 mm22 in
- Climate in Sumy 149 km · 7 °C45 °F · 614 mm24 in
- Climate in Pavlohrad 152 km · 10 °C49 °F · 555 mm22 in
- Climate in Cherkasy 181 km · 9 °C48 °F · 571 mm22 in
- Climate in Belgorod 183 km · 7 °C45 °F · 601 mm24 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Poltava?
July is the warmest month in Poltava. Its average high is 29 °C (84 °F) and its average low is 17 °C (62 °F).
What is the coldest month in Poltava?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is -3 °C (26 °F) and its average low is -10 °C (14 °F).
When does it rain the most in Poltava?
June is the wettest month with about 68 mm (2.7 in) of precipitation. April is the driest with about 35 mm (1.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Poltava?
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.