Helsinki weather in December
Temperature, sea and sunshine in December: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in December
Poor
Best time to visit: June – August
What is the weather like in Helsinki in December?
In December, Helsinki is freezing cold: daytime highs average 0 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−3 °C). The sea averages 4.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 1 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 13 days, totalling 57 mm. Snow falls on about 7 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Helsinki.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 13 | 12 | 14 |
| Day | 4° | 0° | −2° |
| Night | 1° | −3° | −6° |
| Sea | 7° | 4° | 2° |
| Sun | 1 h | 1 h | 1 h |
| Rain days | 12 | 13 | 12 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 5 h 54 min09:18 – 15:12
- UV index
- 0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 21 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 84 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 7 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC+2Europe/Helsinki
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %39 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in December
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Helsinki in December: quick answers
Is Helsinki hot in December?
No. In December, Helsinki is freezing cold: daytime highs average 0 °C and nights drop to about −3 °C.
Can you swim in Helsinki in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 4.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Helsinki in December?
Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 57 mm in total.
Helsinki month by month
The whole year in HelsinkiAll destinations: Finland
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)