Iceland weather in December
What is the weather like in Iceland in December?
The weather conditions in Iceland in December are generally poor. It is a winter month.
During December in Iceland, the average maximum temperature varies from very low in Eyjafjaroarsveit with -1°C (31°F) to low in Vestmannaeyjar with 7°C (45°F). Minimum nighttime temperatures generally drop to 3°C (38°F) in Vestmannaeyjar and -7°C (19°F) in Eyjafjaroarsveit. It is a very cold month in some areas, so be prepared and make sure to dress up warm.
Precipitation in December varies from moderate in Raufarhöfn with an average of 85mm (3.35 inches) of snow/rainfall to heavy in Solheimahjaleiga with 336mm (13 inches).
It is also generally a
less sunny
time of year with an average of 20 hours of sunshine in Reykjavík during the entire month.
To learn more about the weather conditions in specific areas of Iceland, check out the map below.
Where to go in Iceland in December
perfect weather
pleasant
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Popular destinations in Iceland
What is the weather like in December for the 5 most popular destinations in Iceland?
Average weather in Reykjavík
In December Reykjavík generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C (38°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C (28°F) and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.
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Average weather in Akureyri
In December Akureyri generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -0°C (31°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -7°C (20°F) and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.
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Average weather in Keflavík
In December Keflavík generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C (41°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C (33°F) and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.
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Average weather in Höfn
In December Höfn generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C (39°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -1°C (30°F) and heavy monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.
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Average weather in Selfoss
In December Selfoss generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C (39°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C (29°F) and heavy monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.
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Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Iceland.
Is December the best time to go to Iceland?
In our opinion December is not the best time to visit Iceland with commonly poor weather in Reykjavík.
On average the best time to visit Iceland is in June and July with generally tolerable weather in Reykjavík.
The worst months are January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December that can have poor weather conditions.
Interested in more climate information?
We have much more information about the climate in Iceland.
Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.
Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Iceland? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Iceland.
Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.