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Where to go in December / Sweden in December / Central Norrland / December

Sweden · Beach

Central Norrland
in December.

Illustration of Forested hills and sheltered Baltic inlets on Sweden’s High Coast
Forested inlets on Sweden's High CoastDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cold days.
More overnight stays than November.

December averages 30°F afternoons and 39°F seas, with about 12 rain days.

Afternoons
30°F
Sea
39°F
Visitor demand
31%of July peak

Historical Mellersta Norrland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Åre and High Coast; 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
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostModeratefor 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 30°F (−1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 12 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 5 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 39°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 5 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 09:32Sunset 14:1621°F30°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 09:32 and sets about 14:16 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 21°F (−6°C); afternoons reach about 30°F (−1°C). Expect rain on about 12 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
30°F (−1°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
21°F (−6°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
39°F (4°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
4h 44m
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 31°F on the 1st, versus 28°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 32% to 39% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

31°F

Typical afternoon high

32% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

30°F

Typical afternoon high

43% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

28°F

Typical afternoon high

39% 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.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
131°231°331°430°530°630°
730°830°930°1030°1130°1230°1330°
1430°1530°1630°1730°1830°1930°2030°
2130°2231°2331°2431°2531°2630°2730°
2829°2929°3028°3128°

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

Afternoons cool from about 30°F (−1°C) in the first week to 29°F (−2°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 32–43%.

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: 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 and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Low season. December averages 31% of July's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than November.

Overnight stays across Mellersta Norrland do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

A little below usual. Historical regional hotel revenue (2025 annual level, adjusted by the 2024–2025 national hotel index): €37 per guest-night. A seasonal estimate, not a booking quote.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Historical hotel average
€37
2025 annual level, adjusted by the 2024–2025 national hotel index; hotel revenue per guest-night; not a current booking quote. −7% vs this region's usual month.
Sweden as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 117 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

The historical regional amount comes from Tillväxtverket, Inkvarteringsstatistik 2025, table 1.1: accommodation revenue per guest-night (yearly, moved by the national hotel price swing); 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 22°F (−6°C) and 36°F (2°C); in 6 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 30°F (−1°C). Rain days ranged from 8 to 18; half the years had 10–14.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 14 rain days1420112012: 17 rain days172013: 16 rain days162014: 10 rain days102015: 10 rain days102016: 8 rain days82017: 14 rain days142018: 12 rain days122019: 12 rain days122020: 18 rain days182021: 9 rain days92022: 10 rain days102023: 10 rain days102024: 8 rain days82025: 12 rain days122025
Rain days
12
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 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
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201132°F14
201223°F17
201335°F16
201430°F10
201534°F10
201633°F8
201730°F14
201830°F12
201932°F12
202036°F18
202124°F9
202224°F10
202322°F10
202431°F8
202536°F12

Checked against 35 local weather stations. 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
Afternoons36°F30°F27°F
Sea43°F39°F36°F
Rain days91211
Overnight demand24%31%32%

November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than December. Less overnight demand. 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.

May and September have 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 24% of the busiest month.

Historical regional hotel revenue (2025 annual level, adjusted by the 2024–2025 national hotel index): €41 per guest-night. A seasonal estimate, not a booking quote.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons30°F36°F
Nights21°F27°F
Sea39°F43°F
Rain days129
Visitor seasonLow seasonLow 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#727°F17°F36°F111.0Low season
February3.0#830°F18°F34°F71.0Moderate season
March3.0#938°F23°F34°F61.0Moderate season
April3.6#647°F29°F36°F51.6Low season
May5.5#458°F39°F42°F73.5Low season
June6.3#166°F48°F52°F95.4Moderate season
July5.6#370°F52°F60°F106.4Peak season
August6.1#267°F50°F61°F115.5Moderate season
September5.0#558°F44°F56°F103.0Low season
October3.0#1046°F35°F49°F101.0Low season
November3.0#1136°F27°F43°F91.0Low season
December3.0#1230°F21°F39°F121.0Low 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 Central Norrland

Central Norrland's weather ranks 59 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Sweden have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Central Norrland.

All of Sweden in December · Everywhere in December

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

It's low season, 31% of the busiest month and 27% below its average month. That means about 6,300 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 86% of them from Sweden itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 2,200 more: 34 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)33
How our weather was checked35 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.3°C), night lows within 1°F (0.5°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day17
Busiest month hereJuly · 55
Visitors as share of people present1.6%
Rank among Europe's regions this month84th percentile
Domestic share of nights86%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights34
Visitor share if every platform night were extra2.2%
Population used374,000
Statistical regionSE32 · Mellersta Norrland

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 (Tillväxtverket, Inkvarteringsstatistik 2025, table 1.1: accommodation revenue per guest-night (yearly, moved by the national hotel price swing)). Full method · this region's data.