yearsofweather

Shanghai in December:
crisp and chilly, rain here and there

Shanghai, China · Records from 2006 to 2025. Not a forecast.

Mean high11°Hottest day 22.8° (2023)
Mean low4°Coldest night −6.5° (2020)
Rain days6 days1-16 by year
Rainfall39mmDaylight 10.3 → 10.1 h
Shanghai's 12 months iBest: May and October
Trip types Sightseeing on foot Finemostly dry
Humidity70%0 muggy days
Clear days11 days8 overcast days
Mean wind13 km/hRarely windy
Sunrise / sunset (15th)06:45 / 16:53Daylight 10.3 → 10.1 h

Shanghai in December

Early winter, and the temperature drops sharply from November, so a down jacket comes out. Rainy days are fewer than in most of the year. Walking is fine on drier days, but the riverfront feels cold in the wind, so bring a scarf.

A cool month: highs of 11°C, lows of 4°C. Sweaters came out of the suitcase and mostly stayed on. Showers came now and then, about 6 rain days in all, and most of the month stayed dry. A visitor in 2006 met 1 rain day; one in 2018 met 16. The average of 6 hid that gap.

4 nights a month dropped below freezing on average. Gloves earned their place for early starts. Not every year was typical: 2025 ran 2.8°C warmer than the mean, with highs of 13.9°C. Cold snaps happened: the record low for December was −6.5°C, set in 2020.

Typhoons i No tropical storm passed within 300 km in this month over the last 20 years. Typhoons: June to November

Date by date i

‹ November December 2026 January ›
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Week
1-5rain on 17% of days13° 6°
6-12rain on 19% of days13° 6°
13-19rain on 22% of days10° 3°
20-26rain on 19% of days10° 4°
27-31rain on 9% of days9° 2°

0-5/206-8/209-11/2012-20/20

1-5rain on 17% of days13° 6°
6-12rain on 19% of days13° 6°
13-19rain on 22% of days10° 3°
20-26rain on 19% of days10° 4°
27-31rain on 9% of days9° 2°
Tap another date to change

2006none
2007none
2008none
200924mm
20103mm
2011none
20125mm
2013none
2014none
2015none
2016none
201710mm
20184mm
2019none
2020none
20212mm
2022none
20235mm
2024none
2025none
Holidays in December (2026)
  • December 25 Christmas Day

1 US holidays (flights fill up)

Day by day temperature i

−2°7°15°24° 1815222931

Mean high Mean low Coldest to warmest high in 20 years

Your trip dates, the past 20 years

Trip dates ~

You can also click two dates on the axis. Hover a cell to see that day's rain.
Trip rain days Month rain days
2006
1 d 1 d
2007
3 d 8 d
2008
0 d 2 d
2009
3 d 6 d
2010
1 d 4 d
2011
3 d 5 d
2012
0 d 12 d
2013
0 d 3 d
2014
1 d 3 d
2015
3 d 10 d
2016
0 d 6 d
2017
0 d 4 d
2018
5 d 16 d
2019
0 d 11 d
2020
0 d 1 d
2021
0 d 2 d
2022
1 d 6 d
2023
3 d 6 d
2024
2 d 2 d
2025
0 d 1 d
Years with rain
Tap a date to start, tap another to end. Each cell is that date in one year.
'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
of 20
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
4
6
5
4
5
3
7
6
3
4
3
5
4
4
2
4
3
4
2
2
3
2
0
Rain days on trip
13031300130050001320

No rain1-9 mm10 mm or more Dates outside your trip are dimmed.

One row per year, one cell per day. 2006 had 1 rain day, 2018 had 16.

Shanghai through the year

MonthHighLowRain daysRainfall
January 9°2°6 days56mm
February 10°4°8 days62mm
March 15°7°9 days73mm
April 20°12°7 days73mm
MayGood 25°18°7 days81mm
June 28°22°11 days186mm
July 33°26°10 days166mm
August 32°26°8 days156mm
September 28°23°9 days145mm
OctoberGood 23°17°6 days71mm
November 18°11°7 days62mm
December 11°4°6 days39mm

Common questions

Does it rain a lot in Shanghai in December?

Over the past 20 years December averaged 6 rain days (1 mm or more) out of 31. Individual years ran from 1 in the driest to 16 in the wettest.

What should I wear in Shanghai in December?

Days averaged 11°C and nights 4°C. Pack a compact umbrella and a sweater plus a light jacket.

Is December a good time to visit Shanghai?

On warmth and rain days alone, Shanghai's easiest months were May and October. December ranked 10 of 12.

How many clear days does Shanghai get in December?

About 11 clear days (under 30% cloud on average) and 8 overcast days (80% or more).