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Weather in December in Switzerland

Planning a journey to Switzerland 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 Switzerland in December?

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

Temperatures

The average maximum daytime temperatures vary from very cold in Zermatt at -6°C to cold in Balerna at 8°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 1°C in Balerna and -14°C in Zermatt. December is a very cold month in some areas, so be prepared and make sure to dress up warm.

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of Switzerland, check out the map below.

Precipitation

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate snowfall in Sta Maria Val Müstair with an average of 74 mm to heavy snowfall in Adelboden with 171 mm.

Average sunshine

Most areas see fewer sunny days, with a projection of about 83 hours of sunshine in Zermatt. This reduced sunlight makes it ideal for those who prefer dimmer, overcast conditions over bright sunny days.

For a more detailed look at Switzerland's conditions throughout the year, check out our Switzerland climate page.

Where to go in Switzerland in December

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

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).

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 Switzerland, check out our Switzerland's climate page.

Popular destinations

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

Zermatt

In December Zermatt generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -6°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -14°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Zermatt
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 
-9°C 
95 hours 
166 mm 
16 days 
poor 
-6°C 
-14°C 
83 hours 
110 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
4°C 
-5°C 
1,685 hours 
1767 mm 
210 days 
poor 
Climate in Zermatt

Grindelwald

In December Grindelwald generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -10°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Grindelwald
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
2°C 
-6°C 
67 hours 
149 mm 
16 days 
poor 
-3°C 
-10°C 
51 hours 
150 mm 
17 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
7°C 
-2°C 
1,580 hours 
1984 mm 
214 days 
poor 
Climate in Grindelwald

Nendaz

In December Nendaz generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -12°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Nendaz
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 
-8°C 
98 hours 
129 mm 
15 days 
poor 
-3°C 
-12°C 
70 hours 
140 mm 
15 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
8°C 
-3°C 
2,171 hours 
1631 mm 
191 days 
poor 
Climate in Nendaz

Zürich

In December Zürich generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -0°C and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Zürich
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
9°C 
3°C 
62 hours 
102 mm 
15 days 
poor 
6°C 
-0°C 
48 hours 
106 mm 
15 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
15°C 
6°C 
1,705 hours 
1350 mm 
183 days 
Climate in Zürich

Davos

In December Davos generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -12°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Davos
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
2°C 
-8°C 
105 hours 
120 mm 
16 days 
poor 
-3°C 
-12°C 
95 hours 
102 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
7°C 
-3°C 
1,740 hours 
1538 mm 
210 days 
poor 
Climate in Davos

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

Is December the best time to visit Switzerland?

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

On average, the best time to visit Switzerland is in August with generally unpleasant weather in Zermatt.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Switzerland.

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

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.