Early December 1 December
51°F
Typical afternoon high
44% historical wet-day frequency
France · Beach
Western Normandy
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cool days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.
December averages 50°F afternoons and 53°F seas, with about 13 rain days.
- Afternoons
- 50°F
- Sea
- 53°F
- Visitor demand
- 12%of August peak
Historical Basse-Normandie regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Mont-Saint-Michel, D-Day beaches and Caen; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
3.0/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather1.0/10Poor
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 50°F (10°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 40°F (4°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 13 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 8 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in December?
The sea averages 53°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 8 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 08:49 and sets about 17:05 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 40°F (4°C); afternoons reach about 50°F (10°C). Expect rain on about 13 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
50°F (10°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
40°F (4°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
53°F (12°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
8h 17m
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 51°F on the 1st, versus 50°F on the 31st.
Mid December 15 December
50°F
Typical afternoon high
47% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
50°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: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 151° | 250° | 350° | 450° | 550° | 650° | |
| 749° | 850° | 950° | 1050° | 1150° | 1250° | 1350° |
| 1450° | 1550° | 1651° | 1751° | 1851° | 1951° | 2051° |
| 2151° | 2251° | 2351° | 2451° | 2551° | 2651° | 2751° |
| 2851° | 2950° | 3050° | 3150° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons hold at about 50°F (10°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 43–47%. 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 12% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November.
Overnight stays across Basse-Normandie 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 47°F (9°C) and 56°F (13°C); in 13 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 50°F (10°C). Rain days ranged from 2 to 22; half the years had 11–18.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
13
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 20 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
2 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
0 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 | 51°F | 22 |
| 2012 | 50°F | 20 |
| 2013 | 50°F | 12 |
| 2014 | 48°F | 13 |
| 2015 | 56°F | 9 |
| 2016 | 50°F | 2 |
| 2017 | 49°F | 18 |
| 2018 | 51°F | 15 |
| 2019 | 50°F | 18 |
| 2020 | 50°F | 20 |
| 2021 | 51°F | 13 |
| 2022 | 47°F | 14 |
| 2023 | 52°F | 13 |
| 2024 | 50°F | 11 |
| 2025 | 50°F | 11 |
Checked against 66 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 54°F | 50°F | 48°F |
| Sea | 57°F | 53°F | 50°F |
| Rain days | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| Overnight demand | 15% | 12% | 9.5% |
November: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than December. More overnight demand. November guide →
January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. Less overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. January guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
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 to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
December or November?
Overnight stays are 15% 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 | 50°F | 54°F |
| Nights | 40°F | 43°F |
| Sea | 53°F | 57°F |
| Rain days | 13 | 13 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
| Month rank | #12 | #9 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.0 | #10 | 48°F | 37°F | 50°F | 14 | 1.0 | Off season |
| February | 3.0 | #11 | 50°F | 37°F | 48°F | 11 | 1.0 | Low season |
| March | 4.3 | #8 | 55°F | 39°F | 48°F | 9 | 2.3 | Low season |
| April | 5.7 | #7 | 60°F | 42°F | 51°F | 7 | 4.3 | Moderate season |
| May | 5.9 | #5 | 65°F | 47°F | 54°F | 9 | 5.4 | Moderate season |
| June | 6.5 | #3 | 71°F | 52°F | 59°F | 7 | 6.8 | Moderate season |
| July | 6.5 | #2 | 75°F | 55°F | 63°F | 8 | 7.9 | Busy season |
| August | 6.0 | #4 | 74°F | 55°F | 65°F | 8 | 7.8 | Peak season |
| September | 6.8 | #1 | 70°F | 52°F | 64°F | 8 | 6.8 | Moderate season |
| October | 5.9 | #6 | 63°F | 48°F | 62°F | 11 | 4.4 | Low season |
| November | 3.7 | #9 | 54°F | 43°F | 57°F | 13 | 1.7 | Low season |
| December | 3.0 | #12 | 50°F | 40°F | 53°F | 13 | 1.0 | Low 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.
Eastern NormandyFrance · about 80 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 49°F (10°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
Nantes & Pays de la LoireFrance · about 100 miles
Balanced Overall 3.1 · Poor weather, 51°F (11°C) · Off season · Cost moderate
BrittanyFrance · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 52°F (11°C) · Off season · Cost moderate
Paris & aroundFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 5.4 · Fair weather, 49°F (9°C) · Steady all year · Cost pricey
Loire Valley & CentreFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 6.5 · Fair weather, 50°F (10°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Western Normandy
Western Normandy's weather ranks 51 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside France have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Western Normandy.
CantabriaSpain · about 430 miles
Poor weather (2.6): 8°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
AsturiasSpain · about 470 miles
Poor weather (2.5): 7°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, cheaper
Liguria & the Cinque TerreItaly · about 540 miles
Poor weather (2.8): 5°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days
GaliciaSpain · about 560 miles
Poor weather (2.1): 7°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
Venice & the VenetoItaly · about 620 miles
Poor weather (2.0): about as warm, 8 fewer rain days
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 12% of the busiest month and 68% below its average month. That means about 9,700 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 87% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 11,000 more: 112 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 37 |
| How our weather was checked | 66 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 day | 7 |
| Busiest month here | August · 54 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 0.7% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 38th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 87% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 112 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.4% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−3% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 1.5 million |
| Statistical region | FRD1 · Basse-Normandie |
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.