Best time to visit Saint Petersburg
The best time to visit Saint Petersburg is June–July, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Saint Petersburg, St.-Petersburg, Russia
°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 | -3.6 °C / 26 °F | -7.5 °C / 19 °F | 44 mm / 1.7 in | neither best nor good |
| February | -3.4 °C / 26 °F | -7.8 °C / 18 °F | 35 mm / 1.4 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 1.6 °C / 35 °F | -4.5 °C / 24 °F | 37 mm / 1.4 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 8 °C / 46 °F | 0.7 °C / 33 °F | 41 mm / 1.6 in | neither best nor good |
| May | 14.7 °C / 58 °F | 6.4 °C / 44 °F | 51 mm / 2 in | good month |
| June | 18.9 °C / 66 °F | 11.2 °C / 52 °F | 65 mm / 2.6 in | best month |
| July | 21.8 °C / 71 °F | 14.4 °C / 58 °F | 71 mm / 2.8 in | best month, for White Nights. The weather alone makes it good. |
| August | 20.4 °C / 69 °F | 13.3 °C / 56 °F | 96 mm / 3.8 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 15.4 °C / 60 °F | 9.4 °C / 49 °F | 59 mm / 2.3 in | good month |
| October | 8.3 °C / 47 °F | 4.1 °C / 39 °F | 67 mm / 2.6 in | neither best nor good |
| November | 3 °C / 37 °F | -0.1 °C / 32 °F | 58 mm / 2.3 in | neither best nor good |
| December | -0.7 °C / 31 °F | -3.8 °C / 25 °F | 52 mm / 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: good
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- June–July
- Good
- May, September
June is Saint Petersburg's best month for exploring, warm and brilliantly sunny, and July stays nearly as good with the White Nights' round-the-clock daylight offsetting its heavier rain; May and September are solid shoulder months, August's rains take the shine off the warmth, and October through April are cold, dark and damp.
Why these months
May · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 74%, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, average daily high 14.7 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 70%, average daily low 6.4 °C / 44 °F.
Against: wet days 10.1 days, precipitation 51 mm / 2 in, feels like (high) 12.1 °C / 54 °F.
Also on: Nightly bridge raising, Victory Day parade.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.6 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 18.9 °C / 66 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 75%, days with heavy rain 1.2 days, average daily low 11.2 °C / 52 °F, relative humidity 72%.
Against: wet days 11.7 days, precipitation 65 mm / 2.6 in.
Also on: White Nights, Nightly bridge raising, White Nights Festival.
Watch out for: Bridge raising transport disruption, Mosquito season, White Nights Festival crowding.
July · best
Good weather, made best by White Nights.
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.5 °C / 71 °F, average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 76%, average daily low 14.4 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 76%.
Against: wet days 12.4 days, days with heavy rain 1.8 days, precipitation 71 mm / 2.8 in.
Also on: Nightly bridge raising.
Watch out for: Bridge raising transport disruption, Mosquito season.
September · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 63%, feels like (high) 13.3 °C / 56 °F, average daily high 15.4 °C / 60 °F, average daily low 9.4 °C / 49 °F.
Against: relative humidity 83%, wet days 10.8 days, days with heavy rain 1.5 days, precipitation 59 mm / 2.3 in, sunshine per day 8.1 h.
Also on: Nightly bridge raising.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Большой Вудъявр, 867 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) | -8.6 °C | -8.2 °C | -3.1 °C | 4 °C | 12.1 °C | 17.6 °C | 21.5 °C | 19.7 °C | 13.3 °C | 4.8 °C | -1.3 °C | -5.6 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.3 days | 0.2 days | 0.2 days | 0.6 days | 1.1 days | 1.2 days | 1.8 days | 3 days | 1.5 days | 1.4 days | 1.2 days | 0.4 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 12 pm | 10 am | 3 am | 5 pm | 6 pm | 2 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 4 pm | 11 pm | 8 am | 8 am |
| Sunshine per day | 1.3 h | 3.1 h | 6.9 h | 10.2 h | 12.8 h | 14 h | 13.6 h | 11.3 h | 8.1 h | 4.3 h | 1.5 h | 0.9 h |
| Relative humidity | 88% | 86% | 80% | 73% | 70% | 72% | 76% | 79% | 83% | 86% | 89% | 89% |
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 | 5.8 µg/m³ | 9.5 µg/m³ | 9.6 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 11.6 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ | 9.3 µg/m³ | 7.5 µg/m³ | 6.9 µg/m³ | 6.2 µg/m³ | 6.7 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 11.6 µg/m³ | 16.3 µg/m³ | 18.1 µg/m³ | 18.3 µg/m³ | 17.3 µg/m³ | 19.6 µg/m³ | 15.4 µg/m³ | 15.6 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ | 11.1 µg/m³ | 12.4 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
- White Nights Major
11 June–2 July
- New Year celebrations
31 December–8 January
- Nightly bridge raising
April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November
- Victory Day parade
9 May
- White Nights Festival
21–30 June
- Message to Man film festival
October
Worth knowing before you go
- New Year crowds and noise
31 December–8 January
- School holiday crowding (early January)
1–15 January
- School holiday crowding (late March)
21–31 March
- White Nights Festival crowding
21–30 June
- Bridge raising transport disruption
11 June–2 July
- Mosquito season
June, July and August
- School holiday crowding (early November)
1–10 November