Tengrinews.kz — February 2026 in Kazakhstan was marked by sharp weather contrasts, ranging from abnormal warmth to heavy snowfall and blizzards. Air temperatures in most regions were 1–6 degrees above the climatic norm, while precipitation significantly exceeded usual levels, according to Kazhydromet.
Precipitation exceeded the norm several times over
At the beginning of February, Kazakhstan was affected by active cyclonic activity. Passing atmospheric fronts caused intense snowfall.
On February 6, Astana received 23 millimeters of precipitation in one day, while the monthly norm is 17 millimeters — more than 135 percent of the monthly norm in a single day. In Akkol, 21 millimeters of precipitation were recorded, compared with a norm of 16 millimeters.
In the Turkestan Region, during February 9–10, the Achisay station recorded 91 millimeters of precipitation, exceeding the monthly norm (74 millimeters) by more than 23 percent.
On February 19, significant precipitation was also recorded in the Abai Region — 15 millimeters against a norm of 7 millimeters.
Temperature records in February
At the beginning of the month, the southern and eastern regions of the country were under the influence of warm air masses moving in from the south. This led to new temperature records.
On February 2, the temperature in Shymkent reached +15.6°C, exceeding the previous record set in 2021 (+14.5°C). On February 4, Kyzylorda recorded +13.4°C, while Turkistan reached +17.5°C. In Pavlodar, the temperature rose to +2.8°C on February 6, and in Ust-Kamenogorsk to +4.7°C — both also new highs.
During the second ten-day period of February, record-breaking temperatures continued. On February 14, Aktau recorded +17.2°C, surpassing the 2024 record (+14.1°C). On February 17–18, the temperature in Aktau reached +11.4°C, higher than the figure recorded in 1978.
Also on February 18, records were broken at three stations:
- in Pavlodar, +3.4°C was recorded, above the previous 1983 record (+0.5°C);
- in Semey, thermometers reached +5.6°C, exceeding the 1943 maximum (+3.3°C);
- in Kokshetau, +0.8°C was recorded, above the previous 1978 record (+0.1°C).
On February 19, Almaty set a historic maximum of +23.6°C, a record for the entire observation period since 1859.
A cold anticyclone ended the month
In the third ten-day period of February, a cold anticyclone moved into Kazakhstan, bringing stable frosty weather without precipitation.
Air temperatures in the northern and eastern regions dropped to -30 to -39°C. At the same time, no absolute record lows were registered.
February weather summary
Overall, forecasters noted that February 2026 in Kazakhstan was distinguished by highly changeable weather, combining abnormal warmth with severe frosts. Precipitation amounted to 1.3 to 6 times above normal, and temperature fluctuations were significant.
In Astana, the average temperature for the month was -11.4°C, which is 2.2 degrees above normal. The highest temperature was recorded on February 18 (+2.1°C), and the lowest on February 27 (-28.7°C).
