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Where to go in December / France in December / Auvergne / December

France · Mountains

Auvergne
in December.

Illustration of Volcanic hills of the Chaîne des Puys near Clermont-Ferrand
Chaîne des Puys, AuvergneDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
Similar overnight stays to November.

December averages 48°F afternoons, with about 12 rain days.

Afternoons
48°F
Rain days
12
Visitor demand
15%of August peak

Historical Auvergne regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Clermont-Ferrand; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

6.6/10 · scores & priorities

This 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

Weather4.8/10Fair
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostModeratefor Europe; France-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 48°F (9°C): a warm coat; nights around 35°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 12 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 9 hours of daylight.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 9 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 08:21Sunset 17:0435°F48°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 08:21 and sets about 17:04 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 35°F (1°C); afternoons reach about 48°F (9°C). Expect rain on about 12 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
48°F (9°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
35°F (1°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
8h 43m
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 47°F on the 1st, versus 48°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 43% to 32% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

47°F

Typical afternoon high

43% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

49°F

Typical afternoon high

44% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

48°F

Typical afternoon high

32% 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: 25 Dec Christmas 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.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
147°247°347°447°546°647°
747°847°947°1047°1148°1248°1348°
1448°1549°1649°1749°1849°1949°2050°
2150°2249°2349°2449°2549°2649°2749°
2849°2948°3048°3148°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons warm from about 47°F (8°C) in the first week to 48°F (9°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 31–45%. Local schools are out 20–31 December 2026.

Schools here are off 20–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 25 Dec Christmas Day. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%, Netherlands 42%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Low season. December averages 15% of August's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to November.

Overnight stays across Auvergne do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

A little below 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.

France 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 44°F (7°C) and 55°F (13°C); in 12 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 48°F (9°C). Rain days ranged from 3 to 21; half the years had 10–17.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 18 rain days1820112012: 17 rain days172013: 6 rain days62014: 12 rain days122015: 5 rain days52016: 3 rain days32017: 17 rain days172018: 12 rain days122019: 15 rain days152020: 21 rain days212021: 13 rain days132022: 12 rain days122023: 13 rain days132024: 12 rain days122025: 10 rain days102025
Rain days
12
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 18 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
4 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
7 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201148°F18
201246°F17
201348°F6
201444°F12
201555°F5
201649°F3
201744°F17
201849°F12
201950°F15
202046°F21
202148°F13
202248°F12
202349°F13
202447°F12
202551°F10

Checked against 126 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons53°F48°F45°F
Rain days121213
Overnight demand14%15%15%

November: Warmer afternoons than December. November guide →

January: Cooler afternoons than December. 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.

March has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, without a substantially busier visitor season.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 14% of the busiest month.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons48°F53°F
Nights35°F39°F
Rain days1212
Visitor seasonLow seasonLow season
Overall / 106.66.9
Month rank#10#8
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January6.5#1245°F32°F134.5Low season
February6.7#949°F32°F105.3Low season
March7.2#656°F36°F106.1Low season
April7.6#461°F40°F97.2Low season
May7.5#567°F47°F117.8Moderate season
June7.6#376°F54°F98.5Moderate season
July7.0#780°F57°F78.9Busy season
August6.5#1180°F56°F88.8Peak season
September7.9#172°F50°F88.7Moderate season
October7.7#264°F46°F87.6Low season
November6.9#853°F39°F125.4Low season
December6.6#1048°F35°F124.8Low 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.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better December weather than Auvergne

Auvergne's weather ranks 10 of 28 mountain regions this month. These mountain regions outside France have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Auvergne.

All of France in December · Everywhere in December

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's low season, 15% of the busiest month and 57% below its average month. That means about 8,400 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 90% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 9,100 more: 108 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)59
How our weather was checked126 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.2°C), night lows within 1°F (0.1°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day6
Busiest month hereAugust · 40
Visitors as share of people present0.6%
Rank among Europe's regions this month35th percentile
Domestic share of nights90%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights108
Visitor share if every platform night were extra1.3%
National hotel-price seasonFrance historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−3% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used1.4 million
Statistical regionFRK1 · Auvergne

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.