Early December 1 December
48°F
Typical afternoon high
48% historical wet-day frequency
Netherlands · City
Amsterdam & North Holland
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cool days.
Similar overnight stays to November.
December averages 48°F afternoons and 48°F seas, with about 16 rain days.
- Afternoons
- 48°F
- Sea
- 48°F
- Visitor demand
- 53%of August peak
Historical Noord-Holland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Amsterdam, Haarlem, Zaanse Schans and Texel; 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
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queues
CostPriceyfor Europe; Netherlands-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. Bring rain gear: about 16 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 8 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in December?
The sea averages 48°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 08:45 and sets about 16:26 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 38°F (3°C); afternoons reach about 48°F (9°C). Expect rain on about 16 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
48°F (9°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
38°F (3°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
48°F (9°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
7h 41m
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 47°F on the 31st.
Mid December 15 December
48°F
Typical afternoon high
52% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
47°F
Typical afternoon high
51% 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 Boxing 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° | 1147° | 1247° | 1348° |
| 1448° | 1548° | 1648° | 1748° | 1848° | 1948° | 2048° |
| 2148° | 2249° | 2349° | 2449° | 2549° | 2648° | 2748° |
| 2848° | 2948° | 3048° | 3147° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons hold at about 48°F (9°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 48–55%. Local schools are out 19–31 December 2026.
Schools here are off 19–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec Boxing Day. 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, cost and getting there
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Moderate season. December averages 53% of August's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to November.
Overnight stays across Noord-Holland do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
Well 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.
Netherlands as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 125 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Recorded US nonstop flights · 2024
Recorded this month
from New York JFK, Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis and 13 more; 2024 schedule, Eurostat
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 53°F (12°C); in 13 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 48°F (9°C). Rain days ranged from 6 to 24; half the years had 14–18.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
16
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 22 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
1 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
1 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 | 48°F | 24 |
| 2012 | 46°F | 22 |
| 2013 | 48°F | 16 |
| 2014 | 46°F | 15 |
| 2015 | 53°F | 14 |
| 2016 | 47°F | 6 |
| 2017 | 46°F | 17 |
| 2018 | 48°F | 15 |
| 2019 | 48°F | 15 |
| 2020 | 47°F | 18 |
| 2021 | 47°F | 16 |
| 2022 | 44°F | 16 |
| 2023 | 49°F | 21 |
| 2024 | 48°F | 13 |
| 2025 | 48°F | 6 |
Checked against 4 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 52°F | 48°F | 45°F |
| Sea | 53°F | 48°F | 45°F |
| Rain days | 13 | 16 | 15 |
| Overnight demand | 57% | 53% | 49% |
November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than December. November guide →
January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. 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 57% 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 | 52°F |
| Nights | 38°F | 41°F |
| Sea | 48°F | 53°F |
| Rain days | 16 | 13 |
| Visitor season | Moderate season | Moderate season |
| Overall / 10 | 5.3 | 6.0 |
| Month rank | #11 | #8 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.2 | #12 | 45°F | 35°F | 45°F | 15 | 4.2 | Moderate season |
| February | 5.6 | #10 | 46°F | 34°F | 43°F | 10 | 4.6 | Moderate season |
| March | 6.4 | #6 | 51°F | 37°F | 44°F | 10 | 5.6 | Busy season |
| April | 5.9 | #9 | 57°F | 41°F | 48°F | 7 | 6.7 | Busy season |
| May | 6.5 | #5 | 64°F | 48°F | 53°F | 7 | 7.8 | Busy season |
| June | 6.8 | #2 | 69°F | 54°F | 59°F | 10 | 8.6 | Busy season |
| July | 6.8 | #1 | 72°F | 57°F | 64°F | 13 | 9.0 | Peak season |
| August | 6.6 | #4 | 73°F | 57°F | 66°F | 12 | 9.1 | Peak season |
| September | 6.8 | #3 | 68°F | 53°F | 64°F | 11 | 8.3 | Busy season |
| October | 6.0 | #7 | 60°F | 48°F | 59°F | 13 | 6.3 | Busy season |
| November | 6.0 | #8 | 52°F | 41°F | 53°F | 13 | 5.0 | Moderate season |
| December | 5.3 | #11 | 48°F | 38°F | 48°F | 16 | 4.3 | 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.
FlevolandNetherlands · about 30 miles
Balanced Overall 6.3 · Fair weather, 47°F (8°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
UtrechtNetherlands · about 40 miles
Balanced Overall 5.4 · Fair weather, 47°F (8°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Rotterdam, The Hague & South HollandNetherlands · about 50 miles
Balanced Overall 5.4 · Fair weather, 48°F (9°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
GelderlandNetherlands · about 60 miles
Balanced Overall 6.3 · Fair weather, 47°F (8°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Weser-Ems & the North Sea coastLower Saxony · Germany · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 6.1 · Fair weather, 45°F (7°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Amsterdam & North Holland
Amsterdam & North Holland's weather ranks 28 of 41 city regions this month. These city regions outside Netherlands have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Amsterdam & North Holland.
Milan, Lake Como & LombardyItaly · about 530 miles
Good weather (5.8): about as warm, 10 fewer rain days, cheaper
Bologna & Emilia-RomagnaItaly · about 620 miles
Good weather (6.0): 4°F warmer afternoons, 8 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season)
Basque CountrySpain · about 750 miles
Good weather (5.6): 9°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, cheaper
Barcelona & CataloniaSpain · about 760 miles
Very good weather (7.6): 11°F warmer afternoons, 12 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
AragonSpain · about 810 miles
Very good weather (7.0): 8°F warmer afternoons, 13 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's moderate season, 53% of the busiest month and 26% below its average month.The figures cover the whole Noord-Holland region, suburbs included. That means about 82,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 32% of them from Netherlands itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 6,300 more: 8 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 56 |
| How our weather was checked | 4 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 | 27 |
| Busiest month here | August · 52 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 2.7% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 94th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 32% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 8 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.9% |
| National hotel-price season | Netherlands historical 2024–2025 index: Well below usual (−15% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 3.0 million |
| Statistical region | NL32 · Noord-Holland |
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.