Vostok Station Temperature by Month

Vostok Station in Antarctica sees significant seasonal temperature differences, with daytime highs between -20°C (-4°F) in January and 3°C (37°F) in July, averaging -9°C (16°F) annually. Explore the full monthly breakdown below.

Depending on the time of the year, temperatures range from chilly to very cold in Vostok Station. At night, minimum temperatures range from 0°C (32°F) in July to -25°C (-13°F) in January.

The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Vostok Station by month:

Temperatures tend to bottom out between 4 AM and 6 AM, then climb to their daily peak around 3 PM. July, the warmest month, sees 0 hours of sunshine.

The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:

Vostok Station's average annual maximum temperature is -9°C (16°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:

Lisbon, Portugal averages 21°C (70°F) annually, warm summers, mild winters, and rain mainly in the cooler months.

Toronto, Canada averages 13°C (55°F) annually, with cold snowy winters balanced by genuinely warm summers.

Chicago, USA averages 15°C (59°F) annually, known for extreme seasonal swings, from bitterly cold winters to warm summers.

Melbourne, Australia averages 20°C (68°F) annually, known for unpredictable weather, with four seasons sometimes happening in one day.

Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story, humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.

In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.

In Vostok Station, January is the coolest month, with average highs of -20°C (-4°F) and humidity around 70%, considered high. Even in July, the warmest month, temperatures only reach 3°C (37°F) with 66% humidity. For a full picture, see our humidity page.

Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.

The readings come from a range of sources, land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.

Seasonal temperature shifts influence more than just how warm it feels, they also drive changes in rainfall, cloud cover, and wind patterns throughout the year.

Warmer air holds more moisture, which tends to mean heavier or more frequent rain during the warmer months. When temperatures drop in winter, any precipitation that does fall is more likely to come as snow or sleet, though in Vostok Station this rarely lasts long on the ground.

For more on Vostok Station's weather, including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity, visit our Vostok Station climate page.