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Where to go in December / Latvia / December

Latvia · Beach

Latvia
in December.

Illustration of Pine-backed beach at Jūrmala
The Baltic shore at JūrmalaDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cold days.
Similar overnight stays to November.

December averages 36°F afternoons and 43°F seas, with about 13 rain days.

Afternoons
36°F
Sea
43°F
Visitor demand
46%of July peak

Historical Latvija regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Riga and Jūrmala; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

3.0/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather1.0/10Poor
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostModeratefor Europe; Latvia-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 36°F (2°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 13 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 7 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 43°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 7 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 08:51Sunset 15:4028°F36°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 08:51 and sets about 15:40 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 28°F (−2°C); afternoons reach about 36°F (2°C). Expect rain on about 13 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
36°F (2°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
28°F (−2°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
43°F (6°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
6h 49m
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 36°F on the 1st, versus 35°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 43% to 48% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

36°F

Typical afternoon high

43% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

36°F

Typical afternoon high

44% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

35°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: 24 Dec Christmas Eve; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec 2nd Day of Christmas; 31 Dec New Year's Eve.

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
136°236°336°435°535°635°
735°835°935°1036°1136°1236°1336°
1436°1536°1636°1736°1836°1937°2037°
2137°2237°2337°2437°2537°2637°2736°
2836°2936°3035°3135°

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

Afternoons hold at about 36°F (2°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 41–50%.

School-holiday dates for December 2026 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 24 Dec Christmas Eve; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec 2nd Day of Christmas; 31 Dec New Year's Eve. 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?

Moderate season. December averages 46% of July's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to November.

Overnight stays across Latvija 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?

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.

Latvia as a whole
Below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 91 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 28°F (−2°C) and 42°F (5°C); in 6 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 36°F (2°C). Rain days ranged from 11 to 17; half the years had 11–16.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 16 rain days1620112012: 16 rain days162013: 13 rain days132014: 14 rain days142015: 11 rain days112016: 11 rain days112017: 15 rain days152018: 11 rain days112019: 13 rain days132020: 11 rain days112021: 12 rain days122022: 17 rain days172023: 17 rain days172024: 13 rain days132025: 11 rain days112025
Rain days
13
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
0 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
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201139°F16
201228°F16
201340°F13
201435°F14
201542°F11
201638°F11
201738°F15
201834°F11
201941°F13
202036°F11
202130°F12
202231°F17
202334°F17
202439°F13
202539°F11

Checked against official climate averages for Riga (LU). How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs July peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons43°F36°F32°F
Sea48°F43°F38°F
Rain days121314
Overnight demand42%46%33%

November: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than December. November guide →

January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. Less overnight demand. 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.

April 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 42% 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
Afternoons36°F43°F
Nights28°F33°F
Sea43°F48°F
Rain days1312
Visitor seasonModerate seasonModerate season
Overall / 103.03.0
Month rank#12#11
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January3.0#832°F22°F38°F141.0Low season
February3.0#934°F22°F35°F101.0Moderate season
March3.0#1042°F27°F35°F91.0Moderate season
April4.7#653°F35°F39°F82.7Moderate season
May6.4#264°F44°F48°F95.5Moderate season
June6.8#172°F52°F58°F97.4Busy season
July6.2#475°F56°F64°F137.5Peak season
August6.2#573°F55°F66°F127.4Peak season
September6.3#365°F49°F61°F95.3Moderate season
October3.4#752°F40°F54°F101.4Moderate season
November3.0#1143°F33°F48°F121.0Moderate season
December3.0#1236°F28°F43°F131.0Moderate 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 Latvia

Latvia's weather ranks 74 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Latvia have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Latvia.

Everywhere in December

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

It's moderate season, 46% of the busiest month and 17% below its average month. That means about 11,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 37% of them from Latvia itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 2,300 more: 21 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)30
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Riga (LU) from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.5°C), night lows within 1°F (0.7°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day6
Busiest month hereJuly · 13
Visitors as share of people present0.6%
Rank among Europe's regions this month32nd percentile
Domestic share of nights37%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights21
Visitor share if every platform night were extra0.7%
National hotel-price seasonLatvia historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−4% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used1.9 million
Statistical regionLV00 · Latvija

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.