Early December 1 December
40°F
Typical afternoon high
61% historical wet-day frequency
Norway · Mountains
Western Norway & the fjords
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cold days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.
December averages 40°F afternoons and 47°F seas, with about 23 rain days.
- Afternoons
- 40°F
- Sea
- 47°F
- Visitor demand
- 22%of July peak
Historical Vestlandet regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Bergen, Geirangerfjord, Flåm, Stavanger and Preikestolen; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
3.8/10 · scores & prioritiesThis weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather1.8/10Poor
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostExpensivefor Europe
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 40°F (4°C): a warm coat; nights around 33°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 23 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 6 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in December?
The sea averages 47°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 6 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 09:40 and sets about 15:17 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 33°F (1°C); afternoons reach about 40°F (4°C). Expect rain on about 23 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
40°F (4°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
33°F (1°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
47°F (8°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
5h 37m
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 40°F on the 1st, versus 39°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 61% to 68% between those dates.
Mid December 15 December
40°F
Typical afternoon high
68% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
39°F
Typical afternoon high
68% 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140° | 240° | 340° | 439° | 539° | 639° | |
| 739° | 839° | 939° | 1039° | 1140° | 1240° | 1340° |
| 1440° | 1540° | 1640° | 1740° | 1840° | 1940° | 2040° |
| 2140° | 2241° | 2341° | 2441° | 2541° | 2640° | 2740° |
| 2840° | 2939° | 3039° | 3139° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
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.
Afternoons hold at about 40°F (4°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 60–74%.
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?
Low season. December averages 22% of July's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November.
Overnight stays across Vestlandet 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. Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €111 per occupied room-night. An average, not a booking quote.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Historical hotel average
€111
2024–2025 monthly average; hotel revenue per occupied room-night; not a current booking quote. −9% vs this region's usual month.
Norway as a whole
Well above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 140 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
The historical regional amount comes from Statistics Norway (SSB), table 14168: hotel accommodation revenue per occupied room; the country price level is national. Hotel averages are not live booking quotes.
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 32°F (0°C) and 45°F (7°C); in 8 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 40°F (4°C). Rain days ranged from 15 to 27; half the years had 17–26.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
23
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 27 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
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 | 40°F | 27 |
| 2012 | 32°F | 16 |
| 2013 | 43°F | 27 |
| 2014 | 40°F | 26 |
| 2015 | 43°F | 26 |
| 2016 | 45°F | 24 |
| 2017 | 40°F | 23 |
| 2018 | 40°F | 18 |
| 2019 | 42°F | 23 |
| 2020 | 42°F | 17 |
| 2021 | 37°F | 15 |
| 2022 | 35°F | 16 |
| 2023 | 36°F | 17 |
| 2024 | 43°F | 23 |
| 2025 | 44°F | 18 |
Checked against 97 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 45°F | 40°F | 38°F |
| Sea | 51°F | 47°F | 44°F |
| Rain days | 19 | 23 | 18 |
| Overnight demand | 30% | 22% | 21% |
November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than December. More overnight demand. November guide →
January: Cooler afternoons, cooler sea and fewer rain days 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 November have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
December or November?
Overnight stays are 30% of the busiest month.
Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €113 per occupied room-night. An average, not a booking quote.
Read the November guide →| Typical conditions | December | November |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 40°F | 45°F |
| Nights | 33°F | 38°F |
| Sea | 47°F | 51°F |
| Rain days | 23 | 19 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 3.8 | 4.8 |
| Month rank | #12 | #9 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.2 | #11 | 38°F | 31°F | 44°F | 18 | 2.2 | Low season |
| February | 4.5 | #10 | 39°F | 31°F | 43°F | 17 | 2.5 | Low season |
| March | 5.2 | #5 | 44°F | 33°F | 42°F | 16 | 3.4 | Low season |
| April | 5.9 | #1 | 50°F | 37°F | 44°F | 12 | 4.9 | Low season |
| May | 5.8 | #2 | 57°F | 43°F | 48°F | 10 | 5.9 | Moderate season |
| June | 5.4 | #3 | 63°F | 49°F | 53°F | 13 | 6.6 | Busy season |
| July | 5.0 | #7 | 66°F | 53°F | 58°F | 15 | 6.8 | Peak season |
| August | 5.0 | #8 | 65°F | 53°F | 60°F | 16 | 6.4 | Peak season |
| September | 5.4 | #4 | 60°F | 50°F | 58°F | 16 | 5.1 | Moderate season |
| October | 5.1 | #6 | 52°F | 43°F | 54°F | 19 | 3.5 | Low season |
| November | 4.8 | #9 | 45°F | 38°F | 51°F | 19 | 2.8 | Low season |
| December | 3.8 | #12 | 40°F | 33°F | 47°F | 23 | 1.8 | 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.
InnlandetNorway · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 5.2 · Fair weather, 28°F (−2°C) · Low season · Cost expensive
Oslo & aroundNorway · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 4.4 · Fair weather, 33°F (1°C) · Moderate season · Cost expensive
Southern Norwayabout 140 miles
Balanced Overall 4.6 · Fair weather, 39°F (4°C) · Off season · Cost expensive
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Western Norway & the fjords
Western Norway & the fjords' weather ranks 28 of 28 mountain regions this month. These mountain regions outside Norway have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Western Norway & the fjords.
Freiburg & the southern Black ForestGermany · about 900 miles
Fair weather (4.2): 5°F warmer afternoons, 7 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
ZurichSwitzerland · about 940 miles
Fair weather (4.3): 5°F warmer afternoons, 8 fewer rain days, pricier
Franche-Comté & the JuraFrance · about 960 miles
Fair weather (4.0): 6°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, cheaper
VorarlbergAustria · about 960 miles
Fair weather (4.3): 4°F warmer afternoons, 9 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Liechtensteinabout 970 miles
Fair weather (4.3): 4°F warmer afternoons, 9 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season)
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 22% of the busiest month and 54% below its average month. That means about 13,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 76% of them from Norway itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 3,200 more: 24 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 44 |
| How our weather was checked | 97 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.6°C), night lows within 1°F (0.3°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 9 |
| Busiest month here | July · 42 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 0.9% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 59th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 76% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 24 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.1% |
| Population used | 1.4 million |
| Statistical region | NO0A · Vestlandet |
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; the first figure is regional (Statistics Norway (SSB), table 14168: hotel accommodation revenue per occupied room). Full method · this region's data.