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Weather in December in France

Planning a journey to France this December and curious over the weather conditions to await? Your essential details are found on this page, answering your query:

What is the weather like in France in December?

France has a wide variety of climate types. During December, you can expect temperatures that range from very cold to mild and precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. December falls during the winter season.

Temperatures

The average highest temperatures fluctuate between very cold in Aussois at -4°C to mild in Bonifacio at 15°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 11°C in Bonifacio and -12°C in Aussois.

To explore the conditions in France in more detail, check the map below.

Precipitation

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Istres with an average of 53 mm to heavy rainfall in Morez with 186 mm. Going by our weather data, it is the wettest month of the year in Paris.

Average sunshine

Most cities witness limited sunny days, expect roughly 58 hours of sunlight in Paris. This low amount of sunlight is perfect for those who lean towards dimmer, cloudier weather rather than intense sunny days.

For more details on the yearly climate, visit our France climate page.

Where to go in France in December

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the France on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit France, check out our France's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in December for the 5 most popular destinations in France?

Paris

In December Paris generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Paris
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
12°C 
5°C 
75 hours 
65 mm 
16 days 
9°C 
3°C 
58 hours 
77 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
17°C 
8°C 
1,725 hours 
746 mm 
170 days 
poor 
Climate in Paris

Cannes

In December Cannes generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 13°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 8°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Cannes
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
16°C 
10°C 
156 hours 
135 mm 
9 days 
13°C 
8°C 
137 hours 
83 mm 
8 days 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
19°C 
13°C 
2,581 hours 
829 mm 
93 days 
poor 
Climate in Cannes

Nice

In December Nice generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 13°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Nice
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
15°C 
9°C 
156 hours 
137 mm 
10 days 
13°C 
6°C 
137 hours 
86 mm 
8 days 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
19°C 
12°C 
2,581 hours 
885 mm 
101 days 
poor 
Climate in Nice

Lyon

In December Lyon generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Lyon
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
12°C 
4°C 
75 hours 
107 mm 
14 days 
poor 
8°C 
2°C 
54 hours 
83 mm 
15 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
18°C 
8°C 
2,003 hours 
1043 mm 
159 days 
Climate in Lyon

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

In December Chamonix-Mont-Blanc generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -2°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -11°C and heavy monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
3°C 
-7°C 
100 hours 
141 mm 
15 days 
poor 
-2°C 
-11°C 
75 hours 
168 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
8°C 
-2°C 
2,002 hours 
1684 mm 
200 days 
poor 
Climate in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in France.

Is December the best time to visit France?

In our opinion, December may not be the ideal time to visit France due to the typically poor weather in Paris.

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in May, June, July, August and September offering mostly perfect weather in Paris. On the other hand, the weather in January, February and December tend to be poor.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in France.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to France? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in France.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.