With a little research, you will find that the number of tourists decreases in Istanbul during winter. This greatly reduces hotel, food, and transportation costs. For this reason, some tourists travel to Istanbul during the winter but need more information about the snowfall and the weather in this city.
Since I lived in Istanbul for the whole 3 months of winter 2023, I am familiar with this city; I intend to describe the weather conditions in the winter based on my experience.
Does it snow in Istanbul?
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The answer to this question is generally yes! But it depends on what month and where you are in Istanbul. You should also know that snowfall in Istanbul is not impossible but challenging to predict.
The snowfall in Istanbul is less than in other cities in Turkey. Usually, after a short snowfall in this city, all the snow melts unless it snows a lot.
In the table below, you can see a comparison of the average snowfall in Istanbul and other Turkish cities:
| City | Region | Average Annual Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Istanbul | Marmara | Low (1.9 inches / 49 mm) |
| Ankara | Central Anatolia | Moderate (11.8 inches / 30 cm) |
| Erzurum | Eastern Anatolia | High (63.0 inches / 160 cm) |
| Kars | Eastern Anatolia | High (51.2 inches / 130 cm) |
Since Istanbul is divided into two parts, Asian and European, and the Bosphorus Strait is located between them, there may be a difference in climate between these two parts of the city.
In general, Istanbul rarely has summer weather in winter and seldom winters as cold as most European countries. Winter weather in Istanbul is primarily stormy and rainy.
The cooling of the weather in Istanbul starts in the middle of December, and the most snowfall is reported from the end of January to the end of February.
What month does it snow the most in Istanbul?
January is usually the coldest season in Istanbul, and sometimes the temperature reaches 0 degrees. The chance of snowfall increases this month. From the end of February, the weather becomes warmer, and the precipitation becomes rain.
If you want to travel to Istanbul in winter, check the weather conditions in this city so that you don’t face any problems.
In the table below, I have put the average temperature and precipitation in Istanbul:
|
Number of snow days |
Number of rainy days |
Amount of precipitation |
Average temperature (c°) |
Month |
|
1 day |
13 days |
2.3 inches |
8 to 10 |
December |
|
4 days |
13 days |
2.84 inches |
6 to 8 |
January |
|
2 days |
12 days |
2.1 inches |
6 to 10 |
February |
|
0 days |
10 days |
1.8 inches |
8 to 12 |
March |
Which districts of Istanbul have the most and least snowfall?
In the past winter, I lived in the Uskudar district. Because Uskudar is close to the Sea of Marmara and located at a higher altitude than the Kadikoy district, which was at a lower altitude; I experienced more snowfall and freezing. Sometimes, even when I returned to the hotel by taxi, the road was frozen.
According to my research, I prepared the following table, separated Istanbul’s hot and cold neighborhoods, and shared them with you. The interesting thing is that due to the size of the city of Istanbul, the weather may be cloudy and snowy in the neighborhood of Uskudar, but the weather is sunny, and there is no rain in the neighborhood of Sarıyer.
|
Cold neighborhoods |
Slightly warmer neighborhoods |
|
Asian part: Uskudar, Umraniye, Beykoz, Maltepe and Kartal European part: Zeytinburnu, Gazi Osman Pasa, Eyüpsultan and Baghche L’oler |
Asian part: sultan beyli, Tuzla, Çekmeköy, Ümraniye European part: Başakşehir, Esenler, Bahçelievler, Sarıyer |
Does it snow in Istanbul in December?
The probability of snowfall in December in Istanbul is very low, and it rarely happens. The weather in Istanbul in December is a bit like the weather in England in summer. This month, it rains a lot in Istanbul, and the sky will usually be relatively cloudy.
Do tourist places close in winter?
Usually, all tourist and entertainment places in Istanbul are open and active in winter. Only outdoor water parks and some amusement parks are closed, but other places, such as historical sites, shopping malls, and indoor amusement parks, are open and can be visited.
All Things Considered
As you can see, traveling to Istanbul in winter is good and has many advantages. Cheapness, winter festivals, the quietness of the city are just some of the attractions of Istanbul in winter. I prefer traveling to Istanbul in the fall and winter because the city is quieter and the hotels are cheaper.
Finally, I suggest you read the article “What To Wear In Turkey In December” to learn about the clothes you need to travel to Turkey in winter.
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