Sweden

Sweden Weather in December

Average temperatures, rainfall, sunshine and the best places to visit in Sweden in December.

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Stockholm Gothenburg Visby Simrishamn

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

What to Expect in Sweden in December

The weather in Sweden in December can be quite varied, with temperatures that range from very cold to cold and precipitation levels ranging from moderate to high. December is a winter month.

Temperatures

The average maximum daytime temperatures vary from very cold in Abisko at -5°C (23°F) to cold in Brantevik at 6°C (43°F). Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 3°C (37°F) in Brantevik and -12°C (10°F) in Abisko. December is a very cold month in some areas, so be prepared and make sure to dress up warm.

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

Precipitation

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate snowfall in Jukkasjärvi with an average of 44 mm (1.7 in) to high snowfall in Riksgränsen with 123 mm (4.8 in).

Average sunshine

Sunshine tends to be more scarce in many locations. Stockholm gets roughly 32 hours of sunlight. For sunnier alternatives, check our weather planner to find destinations with better conditions.

Explore Sweden by month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Best Places to Visit in Sweden in December

Click on a destination dot for more details. Toggle the map to compare temperatures or precipitation across Sweden.

Conditions Temperatures Precipitation
perfect weather
pleasant
tolerable
unpleasant
poor

Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C (68°F) and 29°C (84°F) and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm (3.5 in) a month).

Popular Destinations in Sweden

What is the weather like in December for some of the most popular destinations in Sweden?

Temperature range in Sweden (December)

Precipitation variation in Sweden (December)

Stockholm

In December Stockholm generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C (37°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C (28°F) and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« November
December
January »
November
December
January
Max temperature
6°C (43°F)
3°C (37°F)
2°C (36°F)
Min temperature
1°C (34°F)
-2°C (28°F)
-4°C (25°F)
Monthly sun hours
45 hours
32 hours
45 hours
Monthly snow/rainfall
52 mm (2 in)
51 mm (2 in)
42 mm (1.7 in)
Monthly rainy days
17 days
17 days
18 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in Stockholm →

Gothenburg

In December Gothenburg generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C (41°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 0°C (32°F) and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« November
December
January »
November
December
January
Max temperature
8°C (46°F)
5°C (41°F)
4°C (39°F)
Min temperature
2°C (36°F)
0°C (32°F)
-2°C (28°F)
Monthly sun hours
49 hours
33 hours
42 hours
Monthly snow/rainfall
79 mm (3.1 in)
80 mm (3.1 in)
76 mm (3 in)
Monthly rainy days
16 days
16 days
16 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in Gothenburg →

Visby

In December Visby generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C (41°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C (34°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« November
December
January »
November
December
January
Max temperature
8°C (46°F)
5°C (41°F)
4°C (39°F)
Min temperature
4°C (39°F)
1°C (34°F)
-1°C (30°F)
Monthly sun hours
43 hours
32 hours
38 hours
Monthly rainfall
61 mm (2.4 in)
56 mm (2.2 in)
47 mm (1.9 in)
Monthly rainy days
19 days
18 days
19 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in Visby →

Malmö

In December Malmö generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C (43°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C (34°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« November
December
January »
November
December
January
Max temperature
9°C (48°F)
6°C (43°F)
4°C (39°F)
Min temperature
3°C (37°F)
1°C (34°F)
-1°C (30°F)
Monthly sun hours
55 hours
32 hours
45 hours
Monthly rainfall
54 mm (2.1 in)
59 mm (2.3 in)
57 mm (2.2 in)
Monthly rainy days
17 days
17 days
17 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in Malmö →

Simrishamn

In December Simrishamn generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C (43°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C (36°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« November
December
January »
November
December
January
Max temperature
9°C (48°F)
6°C (43°F)
5°C (41°F)
Min temperature
5°C (41°F)
2°C (36°F)
1°C (34°F)
Monthly sun hours
48 hours
32 hours
34 hours
Monthly rainfall
73 mm (2.9 in)
72 mm (2.8 in)
62 mm (2.4 in)
Monthly rainy days
17 days
17 days
18 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in Simrishamn →

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at all destinations in Sweden.

In our records: Sweden December extremes

Notable December records observed across cities in Sweden in our climate database (1976 – 2026). Historic readings can vary in quality, so treat these as illustrative.

  • In our records, the coldest December daytime high in Sweden was -35°C (-31°F) in Porjus on December 20, 1986.

Popular cities in December

Day & night temperatures, rainfall and average weather in Sweden in December.

City Weather Day temp Night temp Rainfall
Stockholm 3°C (37°F) -2°C (28°F) 51 mm (2 in)
Gothenburg 5°C (41°F) 0°C (32°F) 80 mm (3.1 in)
Visby 5°C (41°F) 1°C (34°F) 56 mm (2.2 in)
Simrishamn 6°C (43°F) 2°C (36°F) 72 mm (2.8 in)
Östersund -1°C (30°F) -7°C (19°F) 48 mm (1.9 in)
Kiruna -5°C (23°F) -13°C (9°F) 45 mm (1.8 in)

Sweden weather in December: frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Sweden in December?

In December, Sweden generally has poor weather conditions. Stockholm sees daytime temperatures near 3°C (37°F), with nights cooling to roughly -2°C (28°F).

What is the average temperature in Sweden in December?

Stockholm averages a daytime maximum of 3°C (37°F) in December, with overnight lows close to -2°C (28°F).

Does Sweden get a lot of snow/rain in December?

Rain is generally moderate to light in Sweden during December, with Stockholm averaging close to 51 mm (2 in).

Is December a Good Time to Visit Sweden?

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

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in June, July and August offering mostly perfect weather in Stockholm. In contrast, January, February, March, November and December tend to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Sweden.

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

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.

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