ClimateForecastDecemberJanuary >>

Weather in December in Iceland

Are you planning a trip a to Iceland in December and wondering what kind of weather to expect? This page has all the details you need.

What is the weather like in Iceland in December?

December in Iceland generally has temperatures that range from very cold to cold, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. December is a winter month.

Temperatures

During the day temperatures vary from very cold in Eyjafjaroarsveit at -1°C to cold in Vestmannaeyjar at 7°C. At night it cools down to 3°C in Vestmannaeyjar and -7°C in Eyjafjaroarsveit. In many areas in Iceland, December brings with it chilling temperatures. When visiting these parts during this time, it's of utmost importance to be ready. Choose clothing that is both layered and insulating to combat the cold effectively.

Precipitation

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate snow/rainfall in Raufarhöfn with an average of 85 mm to heavy snow/rainfall in Solheimahjaleiga with 336 mm.

Average sunshine

Reykjavík experiences limited sunny days, amounting to roughly 20 hours of sunshine. This makes it perfect for those who prefer dimmer, cloudier settings rather than intense sunlit days

For a closer look at December's conditions in Iceland, see the map below. For a more detailed look at Iceland's yearly weather, check out our Iceland climate page.

Where to go in Iceland in December

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

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
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).

Popular destinations

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

Reykjavík

In December Reykjavík generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Reykjavík
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
5°C 
-0°C 
42 hours 
124 mm 
17 days 
poor 
4°C 
-2°C 
20 hours 
138 mm 
19 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
3°C 
-3°C 
20 hours 
138 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Reykjavík

Akureyri

In December Akureyri generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -0°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -7°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Akureyri
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
1°C 
-5°C 
15 hours 
127 mm 
17 days 
poor 
-0°C 
-7°C 
0 hours 
129 mm 
18 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
-0°C 
-6°C 
7 hours 
123 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Akureyri

Keflavík

In December Keflavík generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Keflavík
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
6°C 
2°C 
42 hours 
134 mm 
18 days 
poor 
5°C 
1°C 
20 hours 
139 mm 
20 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
5°C 
1°C 
20 hours 
135 mm 
19 days 
poor 
Climate in Keflavík

Höfn

In December Höfn generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -1°C and heavy monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Höfn
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
5°C 
1°C 
47 hours 
212 mm 
14 days 
poor 
4°C 
-1°C 
17 hours 
211 mm 
16 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
4°C 
-1°C 
25 hours 
215 mm 
17 days 
poor 
Climate in Höfn

Selfoss

In December Selfoss generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C and heavy monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Selfoss
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
5°C 
0°C 
42 hours 
148 mm 
17 days 
poor 
4°C 
-2°C 
20 hours 
171 mm 
19 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
4°C 
-2°C 
20 hours 
166 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Selfoss

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

Is December the best time to visit Iceland?

Given the typically poor weather conditions in Reykjavík, December may not be the ideal time to visit Iceland.

Generally speaking, June and July provide tolerable weather in Reykjavík. On the other hand, the months of January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December tend to 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.

  • January      
  • February      
  • March      
  • April      
  • May      
  • June      
  • July      
  • August      
  • September      
  • October      
  • November      
  • December      
  • 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 travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.