Reykjavík 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: July
What is the weather like in Reykjavík in December?
In December, Reykjavík is freezing cold: daytime highs average 0 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−5 °C). The sea averages 5.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 0 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 17 days, totalling 118 mm. Snow falls on about 8 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 29 km/h. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Reykjavík.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Day | 2° | 0° | 0° |
| Night | −2° | −5° | −5° |
| Sea | 7° | 6° | 5° |
| Sun | 2 h | 0 h | 1 h |
| Rain days | 16 | 17 | 18 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 4 h 15 min11:15 – 15:30
- UV index
- 0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 29 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 74 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 8 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC+0Atlantic/Reykjavik
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %6 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Nature escape”.
What to pack in December
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Reykjavík in December: quick answers
Is Reykjavík hot in December?
No. In December, Reykjavík is freezing cold: daytime highs average 0 °C and nights drop to about −5 °C.
Can you swim in Reykjavík in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 5.8 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Reykjavík in December?
It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 118 mm.
Reykjavík month by month
The whole year in ReykjavíkAll destinations: Iceland
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)