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Weather in December in Turkey

Considering a trip to Turkey this December and wondering about the expected weather conditions? Find all the crucial information you need right here, addressing your question:

What is the weather like in Turkey in December?

In December, Turkey experiences a range of weather conditions, with temperatures that range from very cold to mild and precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. December falls during the winter season.

Temperatures

During the day the temperature is very cold in Sarıkamıs at -1°C and mild in Datca at 17°C. As night falls, temperatures generally drop to 14°C in Datca and -11°C in Sarıkamıs.

Precipitation

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate snow/rainfall in Doğubayazıt with an average of 36 mm to heavy snow/rainfall in Turgut with 254 mm. Looking at the climate data spanning the last 30 years, this month sees the heaviest rainfall of the year in Istanbul.

Average sunshine

Istanbul experiences limited sunny days, amounting to roughly 61 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 Turkey, see the map below. For a more detailed look at Turkey's yearly weather, check out our Turkey climate page.

Where to go in Turkey in December

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Turkey 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 Turkey?

Istanbul

In December Istanbul generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 12°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Istanbul
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 
11°C 
94 hours 
76 mm 
13 days 
12°C 
7°C 
61 hours 
103 mm 
17 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
19°C 
13°C 
2,185 hours 
730 mm 
128 days 
poor 
Climate in Istanbul

Trabzon

In December Trabzon generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 11°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Trabzon
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 
108 hours 
146 mm 
12 days 
11°C 
6°C 
85 hours 
120 mm 
13 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
17°C 
11°C 
1,610 hours 
1828 mm 
141 days 
Climate in Trabzon

Antalya

In December Antalya generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 15°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 8°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Antalya
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
20°C 
11°C 
176 hours 
139 mm 
8 days 
15°C 
8°C 
147 hours 
241 mm 
13 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
24°C 
15°C 
2,870 hours 
1175 mm 
92 days 
Climate in Antalya

Alanya

In December Alanya generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 15°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 9°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Alanya
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
19°C 
12°C 
168 hours 
114 mm 
9 days 
15°C 
9°C 
136 hours 
179 mm 
14 days 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
22°C 
15°C 
2,725 hours 
967 mm 
100 days 
poor 
Climate in Alanya

Side

In December Side generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 16°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 10°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Side
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
21°C 
13°C 
167 hours 
130 mm 
9 days 
16°C 
10°C 
133 hours 
203 mm 
14 days 
poor 
Annual   >> Annual
>>  
23°C 
16°C 
2,650 hours 
1005 mm 
96 days 
Climate in Side

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

Is December the best time to visit Turkey?

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

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

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Turkey. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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

    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.