Best time to visit Almaty
The best time to visit Almaty is July–September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Almaty, Almaty, Kazakhstan
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -4.3 °C / 24 °F | -12.4 °C / 10 °F | 26 mm / 1 in | neither best nor good |
| February | -1.6 °C / 29 °F | -9.7 °C / 15 °F | 39 mm / 1.5 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 5.8 °C / 42 °F | -2.9 °C / 27 °F | 89 mm / 3.5 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 12.7 °C / 55 °F | 2.7 °C / 37 °F | 131 mm / 5.2 in | neither best nor good |
| May | 17.5 °C / 64 °F | 7 °C / 45 °F | 133 mm / 5.2 in | neither best nor good |
| June | 21.6 °C / 71 °F | 10.9 °C / 52 °F | 69 mm / 2.7 in | good month |
| July | 24.1 °C / 75 °F | 13 °C / 55 °F | 53 mm / 2.1 in | best month |
| August | 23 °C / 73 °F | 11.7 °C / 53 °F | 54 mm / 2.1 in | best month |
| September | 18.6 °C / 65 °F | 7.3 °C / 45 °F | 55 mm / 2.2 in | best month |
| October | 11.9 °C / 53 °F | 1.3 °C / 34 °F | 67 mm / 2.6 in | neither best nor good |
| November | 3.7 °C / 39 °F | -5.2 °C / 23 °F | 56 mm / 2.2 in | neither best nor good |
| December | -2.6 °C / 27 °F | -10.2 °C / 14 °F | 31 mm / 1.2 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: neither
- MMay: neither
- JJune: good
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- July–September
- Good
- June
Almaty is best for outdoor exploring in high summer (July-September), once the heavy spring rains ease; April-May bring the year's heaviest, most persistent rain, and the cold, dark winter (November-February) plus a cool, rain-prone October rule out the rest of the year.
Why these months
June · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.7 °C / 71 °F, average daily high 21.6 °C / 71 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, average daily low 10.9 °C / 52 °F, relative humidity 59%.
Against: wet days 12 days, days with heavy rain 1.8 days, precipitation 69 mm / 2.7 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 64%.
July · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.2 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 24.1 °C / 75 °F, precipitation 53 mm / 2.1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, average daily low 13 °C / 55 °F, relative humidity 54%.
Against: wet days 9.3 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 64%.
August · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.6 °C / 73 °F, average daily high 23 °C / 73 °F, precipitation 54 mm / 2.1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 88%, days with heavy rain 1.2 days, average daily low 11.7 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 54%.
Against: wet days 9 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 55%.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.1 °C / 63 °F, average daily high 18.6 °C / 65 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 84%, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, relative humidity 57%, average daily low 7.3 °C / 45 °F.
Against: wet days 9.6 days, precipitation 55 mm / 2.2 in.
Also on: Almaty Marathon, Indie Film Festival.
Hiking and trekking
Cool enough to climb in, dry enough to enjoy, long enough days.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: neither
- MMay: neither
- JJune: good
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- July–September
- Good
- June, October
Peak hiking season is July-September, with warm-but-not-hot days, long daylight and the lightest rain of the year; June and October are decent shoulder months hampered by rain or shortening days, while heavy spring rain and the cold, short, snow-bound winter rule out the rest.
Why these months
June · good
In its favour: average daily high 21.6 °C / 71 °F, feels like (high) 21.7 °C / 71 °F, average daily low 10.9 °C / 52 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, daylight per day 15.3 h, wind (daily max) 10 km/h / 6 mph.
Against: wet days 12 days, days with heavy rain 1.8 days, precipitation 69 mm / 2.7 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 64%.
July · best
In its favour: precipitation 53 mm / 2.1 in, average daily high 24.1 °C / 75 °F, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, average daily low 13 °C / 55 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, daylight per day 15 h, feels like (high) 24.2 °C / 76 °F, wind (daily max) 10 km/h / 6 mph.
Against: wet days 9.3 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 64%.
August · best
In its favour: average daily high 23 °C / 73 °F, precipitation 54 mm / 2.1 in, days with heavy rain 1.2 days, average daily low 11.7 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 88%, daylight per day 13.9 h, feels like (high) 22.6 °C / 73 °F, wind (daily max) 9 km/h / 6 mph.
Against: wet days 9 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 55%.
September · best
In its favour: average daily high 18.6 °C / 65 °F, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, feels like (high) 17.1 °C / 63 °F, average daily low 7.3 °C / 45 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 84%, daylight per day 12.5 h, wind (daily max) 9 km/h / 6 mph.
Against: wet days 9.6 days, precipitation 55 mm / 2.2 in.
Also on: Almaty Marathon, Indie Film Festival.
October · good
In its favour: average daily high 11.9 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, feels like (high) 9.5 °C / 49 °F, daylight per day 11 h, average daily low 1.3 °C / 34 °F, wind (daily max) 8 km/h / 5 mph.
Against: wet days 10.4 days, days with heavy rain 2.1 days, precipitation 67 mm / 2.6 in, sunshine per day 8.7 h.
Skiing and snow
Wants cold and snowfall; sunshine barely matters.
- JJanuary: best
- FFebruary: best
- MMarch: best
- AApril: good
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- November–March
- Good
- April, October
Almaty has a long, reliable ski season from November through March, with cold temperatures and good snow depth (heaviest in March); April and October are marginal, thinner-snow shoulder months, and May-September are snow-free and too warm to ski.
Why these months
January · best
In its favour: average daily high -4.3 °C / 24 °F, days with snow 11.2 days, snowfall 18 cm / 7 in, average daily low -12.4 °C / 10 °F, wind (daily max) 11 km/h / 7 mph, daylight per day 9.4 h.
Against: sunshine per day 7.6 h.
February · best
In its favour: snowfall 24 cm / 9.6 in, average daily high -1.6 °C / 29 °F, days with snow 11.8 days, average daily low -9.7 °C / 15 °F, wind (daily max) 11 km/h / 7 mph, daylight per day 10.5 h.
Against: sunshine per day 8.1 h.
March · best
In its favour: snowfall 34 cm / 13.3 in, days with snow 14.1 days, average daily low -2.9 °C / 27 °F, wind (daily max) 10 km/h / 6 mph, daylight per day 11.9 h.
Against: average daily high 5.8 °C / 42 °F.
Also on: Nauryz (Nowruz).
April · good
In its favour: snowfall 19 cm / 7.5 in, days with snow 7 days, wind (daily max) 9 km/h / 6 mph, daylight per day 13.4 h.
Against: average daily high 12.7 °C / 55 °F, feels like (high) 11.6 °C / 53 °F, average daily low 2.7 °C / 37 °F.
October · good
In its favour: wind (daily max) 8 km/h / 5 mph, daylight per day 11 h.
Against: average daily high 11.9 °C / 53 °F, snowfall 12 cm / 4.8 in, days with snow 5.8 days, feels like (high) 9.5 °C / 49 °F, average daily low 1.3 °C / 34 °F.
November · best
In its favour: snowfall 25 cm / 9.6 in, days with snow 10.7 days, average daily high 3.7 °C / 39 °F, average daily low -5.2 °C / 23 °F, wind (daily max) 8 km/h / 5 mph, daylight per day 9.7 h.
Against: sunshine per day 7.2 h.
December · best
In its favour: average daily high -2.6 °C / 27 °F, snowfall 20 cm / 7.8 in, days with snow 11.9 days, average daily low -10.2 °C / 14 °F, wind (daily max) 10 km/h / 6 mph, daylight per day 9 h.
Against: sunshine per day 7 h.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Шымбұлақ, Shymbulak, Шымбулак, 19 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | -8.1 °C | -5 °C | 3.4 °C | 11.6 °C | 17.3 °C | 21.7 °C | 24.2 °C | 22.6 °C | 17.1 °C | 9.5 °C | 0.7 °C | -6.3 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.1 days | 0.7 days | 3.4 days | 5.5 days | 5 days | 1.8 days | 1.4 days | 1.2 days | 1.4 days | 2.1 days | 1.9 days | 0.1 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 5 pm | 1 am | 7 pm | 5 pm | 3 pm | 12 pm | 12 pm | 12 pm | 12 pm | 4 pm | 9 pm | 10 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 7.6 h | 8.1 h | 9.2 h | 10.1 h | 11.2 h | 12.1 h | 12.8 h | 12.2 h | 10.5 h | 8.7 h | 7.2 h | 7 h |
| Relative humidity | 62% | 65% | 66% | 67% | 65% | 59% | 54% | 54% | 57% | 65% | 69% | 66% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 38.6 µg/m³ | 35.4 µg/m³ | 27.8 µg/m³ | 21.9 µg/m³ | 17.4 µg/m³ | 16 µg/m³ | 14.1 µg/m³ | 14.5 µg/m³ | 15.6 µg/m³ | 18.9 µg/m³ | 26.7 µg/m³ | 34.4 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 61.1 µg/m³ | 55 µg/m³ | 43.2 µg/m³ | 34.3 µg/m³ | 26.9 µg/m³ | 23.1 µg/m³ | 20.2 µg/m³ | 20.8 µg/m³ | 23.1 µg/m³ | 30.7 µg/m³ | 44.5 µg/m³ | 56.8 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Nauryz (Nowruz)
21 March
- Indie Film Festival
September
- Almaty Marathon
September