Early December 1 December
48°F
Typical afternoon high
41% historical wet-day frequency
France · City
Lyon & the French Alps
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cool days.
More overnight stays than November.
December averages 48°F afternoons, with about 14 rain days.
- Afternoons
- 48°F
- Rain days
- 14
- Visitor demand
- 42%of August peak
Historical Rhône-Alpes regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Lyon, Chamonix, Annecy and Courchevel; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
5.7/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#10 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather4.7/10Fair
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queues
CostPriceyfor 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 34°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 14 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.
The sun rises about 08:11 and sets about 16:56 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 34°F (1°C); afternoons reach about 48°F (9°C). Expect rain on about 14 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
48°F (9°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
34°F (1°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
8h 45m
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 48°F on the 1st, versus 48°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 41% to 35% between those dates.
Mid December 15 December
48°F
Typical afternoon high
43% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
48°F
Typical afternoon high
35% 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.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 148° | 247° | 347° | 447° | 547° | 647° | |
| 747° | 847° | 947° | 1047° | 1148° | 1248° | 1348° |
| 1448° | 1548° | 1648° | 1749° | 1849° | 1949° | 2049° |
| 2149° | 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 34–43%. 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?
Moderate season. December averages 42% of August's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than November.
Overnight stays across Rhône-Alpes do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
About 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 54°F (12°C); in 11 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 48°F (9°C). Rain days ranged from 2 to 19; half the years had 8–17.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
14
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
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 47°F | 19 |
| 2012 | 45°F | 18 |
| 2013 | 48°F | 6 |
| 2014 | 46°F | 11 |
| 2015 | 54°F | 4 |
| 2016 | 48°F | 2 |
| 2017 | 44°F | 17 |
| 2018 | 49°F | 14 |
| 2019 | 50°F | 13 |
| 2020 | 47°F | 18 |
| 2021 | 47°F | 14 |
| 2022 | 49°F | 14 |
| 2023 | 49°F | 14 |
| 2024 | 47°F | 11 |
| 2025 | 51°F | 8 |
Checked against 316 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 54°F | 48°F | 46°F |
| Rain days | 12 | 14 | 11 |
| Overnight demand | 18% | 42% | 57% |
November: Warmer afternoons and fewer rain days than December. Less overnight demand. November guide →
January: Cooler afternoons and fewer rain days 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 June and September to October have 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 18% 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 →| Typical conditions | December | November |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 48°F | 54°F |
| Nights | 34°F | 39°F |
| Rain days | 14 | 12 |
| Visitor season | Moderate season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 5.7 | 6.5 |
| Month rank | #10 | #8 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.4 | #12 | 46°F | 32°F | 11 | 4.5 | Moderate season |
| February | 5.6 | #11 | 50°F | 33°F | 9 | 5.4 | Busy season |
| March | 6.3 | #9 | 58°F | 38°F | 9 | 6.4 | Moderate season |
| April | 7.5 | #5 | 64°F | 43°F | 9 | 7.6 | Moderate season |
| May | 7.9 | #2 | 70°F | 49°F | 10 | 8.0 | Low season |
| June | 7.6 | #4 | 79°F | 57°F | 9 | 8.4 | Moderate season |
| July | 6.7 | #6 | 83°F | 60°F | 7 | 8.3 | Peak season |
| August | 6.5 | #7 | 83°F | 59°F | 6 | 8.3 | Peak season |
| September | 8.2 | #1 | 74°F | 53°F | 7 | 8.9 | Moderate season |
| October | 7.9 | #3 | 65°F | 47°F | 8 | 7.8 | Low season |
| November | 6.5 | #8 | 54°F | 39°F | 12 | 5.5 | Low season |
| December | 5.7 | #10 | 48°F | 34°F | 14 | 4.7 | Moderate 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.
Aosta ValleyItaly · about 100 miles
Balanced Overall 5.6 · Fair weather, 39°F (4°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
AuvergneFrance · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 6.6 · Fair weather, 48°F (9°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
French Riviera & ProvenceFrance · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 5.8 · Fair weather, 56°F (13°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Lake Geneva & ValaisSwitzerland · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 4.4 · Fair weather, 44°F (7°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
Languedoc-RoussillonFrance · about 170 miles
Balanced Overall 4.5 · Fair weather, 55°F (13°C) · Off season · Cost moderate
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Lyon & the French Alps
Lyon & the French Alps' weather ranks 15 of 41 city regions this month. These city regions outside France have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Lyon & the French Alps.
Milan, Lake Como & LombardyItaly · about 210 miles
Good weather (5.8): about as warm, 8 fewer rain days, cheaper
Bologna & Emilia-RomagnaItaly · about 290 miles
Good weather (6.0): 3°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
Barcelona & CataloniaSpain · about 320 miles
Very good weather (7.6): 11°F warmer afternoons, 10 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
AragonSpain · about 400 miles
Very good weather (7.0): 8°F warmer afternoons, 11 fewer rain days, cheaper
Rome & LazioItaly · about 440 miles
Good weather (6.6): 9°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's moderate season, 42% of the busiest month and 17% below its average month.The figures cover the whole Rhône-Alpes region, suburbs included. That means about 124,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 66% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 78,000 more: 63 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 58 |
| How our weather was checked | 316 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.3°C), night lows within 1°F (0.3°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 18 |
| Busiest month here | August · 43 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.8% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 85th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 66% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 63 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.8% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−3% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 6.9 million |
| Statistical region | FRK2 · Rhône-Alpes |
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.