Early December 1 December
40°F
Typical afternoon high
41% historical wet-day frequency
Sweden · City
Gothenburg & West Sweden
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cold days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.
December averages 40°F afternoons and 43°F seas, with about 14 rain days.
- Afternoons
- 40°F
- Sea
- 43°F
- Visitor demand
- 20%of July peak
Historical Västsverige regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Gothenburg; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
4.7/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#11 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather3.7/10Fair
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queues
CostPriceyfor 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 31°F (−1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 14 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 6 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 6 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 08:49 and sets about 15:19 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 31°F (−1°C); afternoons reach about 40°F (4°C). Expect rain on about 14 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
40°F (4°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
31°F (−1°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
43°F (6°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
6h 30m
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 41% to 46% between those dates.
Mid December 15 December
40°F
Typical afternoon high
47% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
39°F
Typical afternoon high
46% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140° | 239° | 339° | 439° | 539° | 638° | |
| 738° | 839° | 939° | 1039° | 1139° | 1239° | 1340° |
| 1440° | 1540° | 1640° | 1740° | 1840° | 1940° | 2040° |
| 2140° | 2240° | 2340° | 2440° | 2540° | 2640° | 2740° |
| 2840° | 2939° | 3039° | 3139° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons hold at about 39°F (4°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 41–48%.
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 20% of July's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November.
Overnight stays across Västsverige do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights.
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): €45 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
€45
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 30°F (−1°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 8 to 19; half the years had 12–17.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
14
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 18 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
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 | 41°F | 19 |
| 2012 | 30°F | 13 |
| 2013 | 43°F | 18 |
| 2014 | 39°F | 14 |
| 2015 | 45°F | 17 |
| 2016 | 42°F | 8 |
| 2017 | 40°F | 16 |
| 2018 | 39°F | 10 |
| 2019 | 42°F | 15 |
| 2020 | 41°F | 17 |
| 2021 | 34°F | 8 |
| 2022 | 35°F | 14 |
| 2023 | 36°F | 14 |
| 2024 | 42°F | 12 |
| 2025 | 43°F | 15 |
Checked against 26 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 45°F | 40°F | 37°F |
| Sea | 49°F | 43°F | 39°F |
| Rain days | 12 | 14 | 12 |
| Overnight demand | 24% | 20% | 17% |
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. 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.
March 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 24% of the busiest month.
Historical regional hotel revenue (2025 annual level, adjusted by the 2024–2025 national hotel index): €49 per guest-night. A seasonal estimate, not a booking quote.
Read the November guide →| Typical conditions | December | November |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 40°F | 45°F |
| Nights | 31°F | 36°F |
| Sea | 43°F | 49°F |
| Rain days | 14 | 12 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 4.7 | 5.3 |
| Month rank | #11 | #9 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.6 | #12 | 37°F | 27°F | 39°F | 12 | 3.6 | Low season |
| February | 4.9 | #10 | 38°F | 26°F | 37°F | 9 | 3.9 | Low season |
| March | 6.1 | #8 | 45°F | 29°F | 39°F | 9 | 5.1 | Low season |
| April | 7.1 | #5 | 54°F | 35°F | 44°F | 6 | 6.4 | Low season |
| May | 7.2 | #4 | 64°F | 43°F | 53°F | 9 | 7.6 | Moderate season |
| June | 7.5 | #1 | 70°F | 50°F | 60°F | 10 | 8.5 | Moderate season |
| July | 6.5 | #6 | 72°F | 54°F | 64°F | 13 | 8.6 | Peak season |
| August | 7.2 | #3 | 70°F | 53°F | 65°F | 13 | 8.5 | Busy season |
| September | 7.3 | #2 | 64°F | 48°F | 61°F | 11 | 7.3 | Low season |
| October | 6.3 | #7 | 54°F | 42°F | 54°F | 14 | 5.3 | Low season |
| November | 5.3 | #9 | 45°F | 36°F | 49°F | 12 | 4.3 | Low season |
| December | 4.7 | #11 | 40°F | 31°F | 43°F | 14 | 3.7 | 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.
Småland & the islandsSweden · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 4.8 · Fair weather, 38°F (4°C) · Off season · Cost moderate
North JutlandDenmark · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 43°F (6°C) · Low season · Cost expensive
Skåne & southern Swedenabout 150 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 42°F (6°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
CopenhagenDenmark · about 170 miles
Balanced Overall 5.1 · Fair weather, 43°F (6°C) · Moderate season · Cost expensive
Oslo & aroundNorway · about 170 miles
Balanced Overall 4.4 · Fair weather, 33°F (1°C) · Moderate season · Cost expensive
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Gothenburg & West Sweden
Gothenburg & West Sweden's weather ranks 38 of 41 city regions this month. These city regions outside Sweden have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Gothenburg & West Sweden.
ViennaAustria · about 700 miles
Fair weather (4.8): 4°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, pricier
BudapestHungary · about 780 miles
Fair weather (4.7): 3°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, cheaper
ZagrebCroatia · about 860 miles
Fair weather (4.9): 6°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, busier for its season (busy season)
Milan, Lake Como & LombardyItaly · about 870 miles
Good weather (5.8): 9°F warmer afternoons, 9 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Lyon & the French AlpsRhône-Alpes · France · about 930 miles
Fair weather (4.7): 8°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (moderate season)
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 20% of the busiest month and 46% below its average month.The figures cover the whole Västsverige region, suburbs included. That means about 21,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 73% of them from Sweden itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 2,200 more: 11 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 53 |
| How our weather was checked | 26 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.1°C), night lows within 2°F (1.3°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 10 |
| Busiest month here | July · 49 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.0% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 61st percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 73% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 11 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.1% |
| Population used | 2.1 million |
| Statistical region | SE23 · Västsverige |
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.