Early December 1 December
45°F
Typical afternoon high
44% historical wet-day frequency
Germany · City
Heidelberg & Karlsruhe
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cold days.
Similar overnight stays to November.
December averages 45°F afternoons, with about 17 rain days.
- Afternoons
- 45°F
- Rain days
- 17
- Visitor demand
- 65%of August peak
Historical Karlsruhe regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Heidelberg and Baden-Baden; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
5.3/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#11 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather4.3/10Fair
CrowdsBusy seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queues
CostPriceyfor Europe; Germany-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 45°F (7°C): a warm coat; nights around 34°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 17 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 08:12 and sets about 16:28 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 34°F (1°C); afternoons reach about 45°F (7°C). Expect rain on about 17 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
45°F (7°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
34°F (1°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
8h 16m
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 45°F on the 1st, versus 46°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 44% to 48% between those dates.
Mid December 15 December
46°F
Typical afternoon high
47% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
46°F
Typical afternoon high
48% 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; 26 Dec 2nd Day of Christmas.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 145° | 245° | 344° | 444° | 544° | 644° | |
| 744° | 844° | 944° | 1045° | 1145° | 1245° | 1345° |
| 1446° | 1546° | 1646° | 1746° | 1847° | 1947° | 2047° |
| 2147° | 2247° | 2347° | 2447° | 2547° | 2647° | 2746° |
| 2846° | 2946° | 3046° | 3146° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 44°F (7°C) in the first week to 46°F (8°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 44–50%. Local schools are out 23–31 December 2026. Christmas markets: typically 20 November – 23 December 2026.
Schools here are off 23–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec 2nd Day of Christmas. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%, Netherlands 42%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Busy season. December averages 65% of August's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to November.
Overnight stays across Karlsruhe 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.
What's on Christmas markets, typically 20 November – 23 December 2026: evenings and weekends are crowded; city hotels fill on December weekends. Official site.
Germany as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 112 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 43°F (6°C) and 53°F (11°C); in 14 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 45°F (7°C). Rain days ranged from 4 to 22; half the years had 10–19.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
17
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 21 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
3 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 | 46°F | 22 |
| 2012 | 43°F | 22 |
| 2013 | 46°F | 10 |
| 2014 | 44°F | 17 |
| 2015 | 53°F | 7 |
| 2016 | 44°F | 4 |
| 2017 | 43°F | 21 |
| 2018 | 45°F | 18 |
| 2019 | 47°F | 15 |
| 2020 | 45°F | 19 |
| 2021 | 45°F | 17 |
| 2022 | 44°F | 12 |
| 2023 | 47°F | 19 |
| 2024 | 44°F | 11 |
| 2025 | 46°F | 4 |
Checked against 10 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 51°F | 45°F | 43°F |
| Rain days | 11 | 17 | 13 |
| Overnight demand | 70% | 65% | 49% |
November: Warmer afternoons and fewer rain days than December. November guide →
January: Cooler afternoons and fewer rain days than December. Less 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.
January has fewer overnight stays than December, with a similar or higher Weather score.
Your comparison
December or November?
Overnight stays are 70% 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 | 45°F | 51°F |
| Nights | 34°F | 37°F |
| Rain days | 17 | 11 |
| Visitor season | Busy season | Busy season |
| Overall / 10 | 5.3 | 5.9 |
| Month rank | #11 | #9 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.1 | #12 | 43°F | 31°F | 13 | 4.1 | Moderate season |
| February | 5.9 | #10 | 47°F | 31°F | 9 | 4.9 | Moderate season |
| March | 6.6 | #7 | 55°F | 35°F | 10 | 6.3 | Busy season |
| April | 6.9 | #3 | 62°F | 41°F | 8 | 7.6 | Busy season |
| May | 6.8 | #4 | 69°F | 48°F | 10 | 8.3 | Peak season |
| June | 7.0 | #2 | 77°F | 56°F | 9 | 8.7 | Peak season |
| July | 6.7 | #5 | 80°F | 58°F | 12 | 8.6 | Peak season |
| August | 6.6 | #6 | 80°F | 58°F | 8 | 8.6 | Peak season |
| September | 7.0 | #1 | 72°F | 51°F | 6 | 8.9 | Peak season |
| October | 6.3 | #8 | 62°F | 45°F | 11 | 7.2 | Peak season |
| November | 5.9 | #9 | 51°F | 37°F | 11 | 5.2 | Busy season |
| December | 5.3 | #11 | 45°F | 34°F | 17 | 4.3 | 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.
StuttgartBaden-Württemberg · Germany · about 40 miles
Balanced Overall 5.2 · Fair weather, 44°F (7°C) · Steady all year · Cost pricey
Mainz & the PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate · Germany · about 50 miles
Balanced Overall 5.9 · Fair weather, 45°F (7°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Frankfurt & southern HesseGermany · about 70 miles
Balanced Overall 5.2 · Fair weather, 45°F (7°C) · Steady all year · Cost pricey
Munich & Upper BavariaGermany · about 150 miles
Balanced Overall 5.8 · Fair weather, 43°F (6°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
TyrolInnsbruck · Austria · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 5.1 · Fair weather, 40°F (5°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Heidelberg & Karlsruhe
Heidelberg & Karlsruhe's weather ranks 26 of 41 city regions this month. These city regions outside Germany have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Heidelberg & Karlsruhe.
Milan, Lake Como & LombardyItaly · about 240 miles
Good weather (5.8): 3°F warmer afternoons, 11 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Bologna & Emilia-RomagnaItaly · about 330 miles
Good weather (6.0): 6°F warmer afternoons, 9 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
Rome & LazioItaly · about 530 miles
Good weather (6.6): 12°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
Barcelona & CataloniaSpain · about 610 miles
Very good weather (7.6): 13°F warmer afternoons, 13 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
Basque CountrySpain · about 680 miles
Good weather (5.6): 11°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's busy season, 65% of the busiest month and 17% below its average month.The figures cover the whole Karlsruhe region, suburbs included. That means about 25,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 77% of them from Germany itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 4,000 more: 16 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 56 |
| How our weather was checked | 10 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.2°C), night lows within 1°F (0.3°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 9 |
| Busiest month here | August · 13 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 0.9% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 56th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 77% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 16 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.0% |
| National hotel-price season | Germany historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−1% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 2.8 million |
| Statistical region | DE12 · Karlsruhe |
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.