Early December 1 December
42°F
Typical afternoon high
41% historical wet-day frequency
Austria · Mountains
Salzburg
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cold days.
More overnight stays than November.
December averages 42°F afternoons, with about 13 rain days.
- Afternoons
- 42°F
- Rain days
- 13
- Visitor demand
- 62%of February peak
Historical Salzburg regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Salzburg, Zell am See and Kaprun; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
5.1/10 · scores & prioritiesThis weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#10 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather4.1/10Fair
CrowdsBusy seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, one of Europe's busiest this month
CostPriceyfor Europe; Austria-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your December
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 42°F (5°C): a warm coat; nights around 26°F (−3°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 13 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 8 hours of daylight.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 8 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 07:48 and sets about 16:18 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 26°F (−3°C); afternoons reach about 42°F (5°C). Expect rain on about 13 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
42°F (5°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
26°F (−3°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
8h 30m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late December?
Early and late December have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 42°F on the 1st, versus 41°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 41% to 44% between those dates.
Mid December 15 December
42°F
Typical afternoon high
39% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
41°F
Typical afternoon high
44% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2026: 8 Dec Immaculate Conception; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec St Stephen's Day.
Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
December 2026 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 142° | 242° | 341° | 441° | 541° | 641° | |
| 741° | 841° | 941° | 1041° | 1141° | 1241° | 1342° |
| 1442° | 1542° | 1642° | 1742° | 1842° | 1943° | 2043° |
| 2143° | 2243° | 2343° | 2443° | 2543° | 2642° | 2742° |
| 2842° | 2942° | 3041° | 3141° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons hold at about 42°F (5°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 37–45%. Local schools are out 24–31 December 2026. Christmas markets: typically 13 November – 26 December 2026.
Schools here are off 24–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 8 Dec Immaculate Conception; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec St Stephen's Day. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Busy season. December averages 62% of February's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than November.
Overnight stays across Salzburg do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, one of Europe's busiest this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
A little above usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
What's on Christmas markets, typically 13 November – 26 December 2026: evenings and weekends are crowded; city hotels fill on December weekends. Official site.
Austria as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 110 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Year-to-year variation
How much does December vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 37°F (3°C) and 49°F (10°C); in 11 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 42°F (5°C). Rain days ranged from 4 to 19; half the years had 7–17.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
13
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 17 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
5 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
5 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 41°F | 19 |
| 2012 | 37°F | 17 |
| 2013 | 44°F | 6 |
| 2014 | 41°F | 16 |
| 2015 | 49°F | 4 |
| 2016 | 43°F | 7 |
| 2017 | 37°F | 17 |
| 2018 | 40°F | 16 |
| 2019 | 43°F | 13 |
| 2020 | 42°F | 11 |
| 2021 | 40°F | 15 |
| 2022 | 42°F | 12 |
| 2023 | 42°F | 17 |
| 2024 | 41°F | 13 |
| 2025 | 46°F | 6 |
Checked against 23 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 49°F | 42°F | 39°F |
| Rain days | 9 | 13 | 13 |
| Overnight demand | 18% | 62% | 83% |
November: Warmer afternoons and fewer rain days than December. Less overnight demand. November guide →
January: Cooler afternoons than December. More overnight demand. January guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with December Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.
April to May and September to November have fewer overnight stays than December, with a similar or higher Weather score.
Your comparison
December or November?
Overnight stays are 18% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the November guide →| Typical conditions | December | November |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 42°F | 49°F |
| Nights | 26°F | 32°F |
| Rain days | 13 | 9 |
| Visitor season | Busy season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 5.1 | 6.8 |
| Month rank | #10 | #6 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.4 | #12 | 39°F | 24°F | 13 | 3.6 | Busy season |
| February | 4.5 | #11 | 44°F | 25°F | 10 | 4.5 | Peak season |
| March | 5.8 | #9 | 52°F | 30°F | 12 | 5.4 | Busy season |
| April | 7.2 | #3 | 60°F | 37°F | 13 | 6.4 | Low season |
| May | 7.1 | #5 | 66°F | 44°F | 16 | 6.4 | Low season |
| June | 7.2 | #2 | 74°F | 53°F | 15 | 7.5 | Moderate season |
| July | 6.5 | #7 | 76°F | 54°F | 16 | 7.4 | Busy season |
| August | 6.3 | #8 | 76°F | 54°F | 12 | 7.6 | Peak season |
| September | 7.3 | #1 | 68°F | 47°F | 12 | 7.5 | Moderate season |
| October | 7.1 | #4 | 60°F | 40°F | 10 | 6.5 | Low season |
| November | 6.8 | #6 | 49°F | 32°F | 9 | 5.2 | Low season |
| December | 5.1 | #10 | 42°F | 26°F | 13 | 4.1 | Busy season |
Near here
Nearby places in December
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
CarinthiaAustria · about 60 miles
Balanced Overall 6.3 · Fair weather, 42°F (6°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
Upper Austria & HallstattAustria · about 70 miles
Balanced Overall 6.2 · Fair weather, 43°F (6°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
TyrolInnsbruck · Austria · about 80 miles
Balanced Overall 5.1 · Fair weather, 40°F (5°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Munich & Upper BavariaGermany · about 80 miles
Balanced Overall 5.8 · Fair weather, 43°F (6°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Venice & the VenetoItaly · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 4.0 · Poor weather, 50°F (10°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Salzburg
Salzburg's weather ranks 21 of 28 mountain regions this month. These mountain regions outside Austria have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Salzburg.
South Tyrol & the DolomitesItaly · about 90 miles
Good weather (5.3): 2°F warmer afternoons, 7 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
TrentinoItaly · about 130 miles
Good weather (5.8): 5°F warmer afternoons, 9 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
TicinoSwitzerland · about 220 miles
Good weather (5.7): 5°F warmer afternoons, 8 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), pricier
Sofia & the southwestBulgaria · about 610 miles
Good weather (5.4): 4°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, cheaper
Western MacedoniaGreece · about 640 miles
Good weather (5.6): 7°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's busy season, 62% of the busiest month and 10% above its average month. That means about 77,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 21% of them from Austria itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 14,000 more: 18 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 55 |
| How our weather was checked | 23 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.5°C), night lows within 2°F (1.2°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 135 |
| Busiest month here | February · 217 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 11.9% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 99th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 21% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 18 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 13.8% |
| National hotel-price season | Austria historical 2024–2025 index: A little above usual (+6% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 573,000 |
| Statistical region | AT32 · Salzburg |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.