Early December 1 December
29°F
Typical afternoon high
38% historical wet-day frequency
Sweden · Beach
Swedish Lapland
in December.
Is December a good time?
Cold days.
Similar overnight stays to November.
December averages 28°F afternoons and 37°F seas, with about 13 rain days. Later December is typically cooler.
- Afternoons
- 28°F
- Sea
- 37°F
- Visitor demand
- 29%of July peak
Historical Övre Norrland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Kiruna, Abisko and Luleå; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
3.0/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat 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
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 28°F (−2°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 13 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 3 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in December?
The sea averages 37°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 3 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 10:14 and sets about 13:02 (local time, mid-month). Afternoons reach about 28°F (−2°C). Expect rain on about 13 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
28°F (−2°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
—
not shown here: our correction of the model data isn't accurate enough for night lows in this region
Sea
37°F (3°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
2h 49m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late December?
Early December is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 29°F on the 1st, versus 25°F on the 31st.
Mid December 15 December
28°F
Typical afternoon high
47% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
25°F
Typical afternoon high
38% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129° | 229° | 329° | 429° | 529° | 629° | |
| 728° | 828° | 928° | 1028° | 1128° | 1228° | 1329° |
| 1429° | 1528° | 1628° | 1728° | 1828° | 1928° | 2028° |
| 2128° | 2228° | 2328° | 2428° | 2528° | 2628° | 2727° |
| 2826° | 2925° | 3025° | 3125° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons cool from about 29°F (−2°C) in the first week to 26°F (−3°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 37–50%.
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: 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 29% of July's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to November.
Overnight stays across Övre 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): €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 20°F (−6°C) and 33°F (1°C); in 6 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 28°F (−2°C). Rain days ranged from 7 to 20; half the years had 10–16.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
13
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 19 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
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 32°F | 20 |
| 2012 | 20°F | 19 |
| 2013 | 32°F | 16 |
| 2014 | 29°F | 11 |
| 2015 | 31°F | 12 |
| 2016 | 30°F | 7 |
| 2017 | 27°F | 15 |
| 2018 | 28°F | 12 |
| 2019 | 31°F | 14 |
| 2020 | 33°F | 19 |
| 2021 | 23°F | 10 |
| 2022 | 25°F | 14 |
| 2023 | 21°F | 10 |
| 2024 | 29°F | 10 |
| 2025 | 31°F | 13 |
Checked against 64 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 33°F | 28°F | 22°F |
| Sea | 41°F | 37°F | 34°F |
| Rain days | 10 | 13 | 10 |
| Overnight demand | 26% | 29% | 30% |
November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than December. 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.
May 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 26% of the busiest month.
Historical regional hotel revenue (2025 annual level, adjusted by the 2024–2025 national hotel index): €50 per guest-night. A seasonal estimate, not a booking quote.
Read the November guide →| Typical conditions | December | November |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 28°F | 33°F |
| Nights | — | — |
| Sea | 37°F | 41°F |
| Rain days | 13 | 10 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Month rank | #12 | #11 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.0 | #7 | 22°F | — | 34°F | 10 | 1.0 | Low season |
| February | 3.0 | #8 | 25°F | — | 32°F | 8 | 1.0 | Moderate season |
| March | 3.0 | #9 | 33°F | — | 33°F | 5 | 1.0 | Moderate season |
| April | 3.2 | #6 | 42°F | — | 34°F | 6 | 1.2 | Low season |
| May | 4.8 | #4 | 53°F | — | 39°F | 5 | 2.8 | Low season |
| June | 5.8 | #2 | 63°F | — | 50°F | 8 | 4.9 | Moderate season |
| July | 5.4 | #3 | 69°F | — | 60°F | 10 | 6.4 | Peak season |
| August | 6.0 | #1 | 65°F | — | 60°F | 11 | 5.4 | Moderate season |
| September | 4.6 | #5 | 57°F | — | 55°F | 10 | 2.6 | Low season |
| October | 3.0 | #10 | 43°F | — | 47°F | 10 | 1.0 | Low season |
| November | 3.0 | #11 | 33°F | — | 41°F | 10 | 1.0 | Low season |
| December | 3.0 | #12 | 28°F | — | 37°F | 13 | 1.0 | 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.
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Swedish Lapland
Swedish Lapland's weather ranks 71 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Sweden have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Swedish Lapland.
Venice & the VenetoItaly · about 1450 miles
Poor weather (2.0): 22°F warmer afternoons, 7 fewer rain days, cheaper
Liguria & the Cinque TerreItaly · about 1570 miles
Poor weather (2.8): 27°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, cheaper
MarcheItaly · about 1600 miles
Fair weather (3.4): 27°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season)
French Riviera & ProvenceFrance · about 1620 miles
Fair weather (3.8): 27°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days
AbruzzoItaly · about 1670 miles
Fair weather (3.3): 26°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 29% of the busiest month and 30% below its average month. That means about 9,100 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 65% of them from Sweden itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,100 more: 12 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 32 |
| How our weather was checked | 64 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.5°C), night lows off by more than 4°F (2°C), so not shown. |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 17 |
| Busiest month here | July · 60 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.7% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 85th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 65% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 12 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.9% |
| Population used | 530,000 |
| Statistical region | SE33 · Övre 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.