Sun, sea & sand

St Andrews weather in December

Temperature, sea and sunshine in December: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.

6

Holiday weather in December

Poor

Best time to visit: April – July

What is the weather like in St Andrews in December?

In December, St Andrews is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 3 °C. The sea averages 8.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 76 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 29 km/h. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in St Andrews.

December compared

How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.

NovemberNovDecemberDecJanuaryJan
Score667
Day9°7°6°
Night5°3°3°
Sea10°9°7°
Sun3 h2 h2 h
Rain days141413

More details for December

Daylight
6 h 56 min08:38 – 15:34
UV index
0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
Muggy days
0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
Wind
29 km/haverage daily peakAll months
Cloud cover
70 %on averageAll months
Hot days
0 days30 °C or more
Snow days
1 day1 cm or more of fresh snow
Time zone
UTC+0Europe/London

How the score comes together

  • Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
  • Seaweight 25 %0 %
  • Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
  • Few rainy daysweight 20 %31 %

Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.

What to pack in December

  • Warm jacket
  • Rain jacket or umbrella
  • Windproof jacket

St Andrews in December: quick answers

Is St Andrews hot in December?

No. In December, St Andrews is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C and nights drop to about 3 °C.

Can you swim in St Andrews in December?

Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 8.6 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.

Does it rain much in St Andrews in December?

Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 76 mm in total.

St Andrews month by month

Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences