Paris in December:
properly cold,
Paris, France · Records from 2006 to 2025. Not a forecast.
Paris in December
Christmas markets and lights make this the most festive month. Days are at their shortest and it is dark around five, so keep outdoor plans for midday. It is also among the rainiest months, so waterproofs help. Many shops close on 25 December and 1 January.
Cold, plain and simple: highs of 8°C, lows of 4°C. Warm cafes and museums earned their keep. Daily swings were small, about 4°C, with no sudden drop at dusk. With 12 rain days on average, a wet day was rarely more than a few days away. Averages hide a lot here: one year saw 3, another 18.
Days were short. Daylight shrank from 8.6 to 8.3 hours across the month, so plan outdoor sights early. Frost touched 5 nights of the month on average, enough to glaze puddles and shaded steps at first light. Not every year was typical: 2015 ran 3.8°C warmer than the mean, with highs of 12.0°C. The coldest night came in 2010, at −6.6°C.
Date by date i
0-5/206-8/209-11/2012-20/20
| 1-5 | rain on 44% of days | 8° 4° |
|---|---|---|
| 6-12 | rain on 39% of days | 8° 4° |
| 13-19 | rain on 37% of days | 8° 4° |
| 20-26 | rain on 38% of days | 9° 5° |
| 27-31 | rain on 32% of days | 8° 4° |
0-5/206-8/209-11/2012-20/20
| 1-4 | rain on 41% of days | 8° 4° |
|---|---|---|
| 5-11 | rain on 44% of days | 9° 4° |
| 12-18 | rain on 33% of days | 7° 3° |
| 19-25 | rain on 41% of days | 9° 5° |
| 26-31 | rain on 33% of days | 8° 4° |
- December 25 Christmas Day
1 Local public holiday or break (busier, pricier)
- December 25 Christmas Day
- December 24 Christmas Day (observed)
1 Local public holiday or break (busier, pricier)1 US holidays (flights fill up)
Day by day temperature i
Mean high Mean low Coldest to warmest high in 20 years
Your trip dates, the past 20 years
No rain1-9 mm10 mm or more Dates outside your trip are dimmed.
One row per year, one cell per day. 2016 had 3 rain days, 2009 had 18.
Paris through the year
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8° | 3° | 10 days | 54mm |
| February | 9° | 4° | 9 days | 45mm |
| March | 13° | 6° | 11 days | 51mm |
| April | 16° | 8° | 8 days | 41mm |
| May | 20° | 11° | 10 days | 71mm |
| JuneGood | 24° | 14° | 9 days | 61mm |
| JulyGood | 26° | 16° | 8 days | 61mm |
| AugustGood | 26° | 16° | 8 days | 57mm |
| September | 22° | 13° | 8 days | 44mm |
| October | 17° | 10° | 10 days | 62mm |
| November | 11° | 6° | 10 days | 57mm |
| December | 8° | 4° | 12 days | 64mm |
Common questions
Does it rain a lot in Paris in December?
Over the past 20 years December averaged 12 rain days (1 mm or more) out of 31. Individual years ran from 3 in the driest to 18 in the wettest.
What should I wear in Paris in December?
Days averaged 8°C and nights 4°C. Pack a compact umbrella, a waterproof jacket, and a warm coat.
Is December a good time to visit Paris?
On warmth and rain days alone, Paris's easiest months were June to August. December ranked 12 of 12.
Is Paris humid in December?
Mean relative humidity was 89%, high, but there were no muggy days (dew point of 20°C or more).