Mazār-e Sharīf weather in December

In December, Mazār-e Sharīf sees average daytime highs of 11°C and overnight lows near 2°C, with 25 mm of precipitation across 5.6 wet days and about 9.5 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 12°C in the first days to 10°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 42 min at the start of December to 9 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Mazār-e Sharīf's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mazār-e Sharīf's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11°
11th warmest
Overnight low
2nd coldest
Precipitation
25 mm
5.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 30 min
7:13 AM – 4:43 PM
Cloud cover
49%
8th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
2.45 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.0
out of 10

Mazār-e Sharīf is capital of Balkh, Afghanistan.

Density
6,305/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 12°C in the first days to 10°C by the end.

A typical December day in Mazār-e Sharīf reaches about 11°C in the afternoon and slips back to 2°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 5°C and 17°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1123
2123
3123
4123
5122
6112
7112
8112
9112
10112
11112
12112
13112
14112
15112
16112
17112
18112
19112
20112
21111
22111
23111
24101
25101
26101
27101
28101
29101
30101
31101

How December really feels in Mazār-e Sharīf

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 26 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
26
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Mazār-e Sharīf weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan10° / 347.42.29.82.2
Feb12° / 4082.210.63.2
Mar17° / 478.80.711.75.7
Apr24° / 13°345.9012.97.5
May30° / 17°132.7013.96.0
Jun35° / 21°10.2014.53.2
Jul37° / 23°00.1014.32.3
Aug35° / 20°00013.43.8
Sep30° / 15°10.2012.27.0
Oct23° / 10°41.1011.19.0
Nov16° / 235.20.5105.7
Dec11° / 255.61.59.53.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15941
25941
35941
45842
55842
65842
75743
85743
95743
105644
115644
125644
135545
145545
155446
165446
175446
185446
195347
205347
215347
225347
235347
245347
255347
265446
275446
285446
295347
305347
315446

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Mazār-e Sharīf gets around 25 mm of rain and snow over 5.6 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 18% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1204
2204
3205
4205
5205
6205
7205
8205
9205
10195
11195
12195
13195
14185
15185
16185
17175
18174
19174
20175
21175
22175
23175
24175
25175
26175
27175
28185
29185
30195
31195

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 8 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 42 min at the start of December to 9 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:01 AM to 7:19 AM, and sunset from 4:41 PM to 4:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.77:014:41
29.77:024:41
39.67:034:41
49.67:044:41
59.67:054:41
69.67:054:41
79.67:064:41
89.67:074:41
99.67:084:41
109.57:094:41
119.57:094:42
129.57:104:42
139.57:114:42
149.57:114:42
159.57:124:42
169.57:134:43
179.57:134:43
189.57:144:43
199.57:144:44
209.57:154:44
219.57:154:45
229.57:164:45
239.57:164:46
249.57:174:46
259.57:174:47
269.57:184:47
279.57:184:48
289.57:184:48
299.57:194:49
309.57:194:50
319.57:194:50

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.45 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.45 kWh/m² to a high of 7.85 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 2.45 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.6Moderate
32.5Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.5Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.5Moderate
92.5Moderate
102.5Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.5Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.5Moderate
152.5Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.4Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.4Moderate
262.5Moderate
272.5Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Mazār-e Sharīf

In seasonPeak

None of Mazār-e Sharīf's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Mazār-e Sharīf sees seasonal dust haze (April–May), heaviest in May.

Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Mazār-e Sharīf?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Mazār-e Sharīf.

What to pack for Mazār-e Sharīf in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Mazār-e Sharīf sees daytime highs around 11°C and nights near 2°C. Pack a warm layer. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Mazār-e Sharīf in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mazār-e Sharīf peaks around June 23 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateJun 23UV 10Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7High
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Mazār-e Sharīf in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Mazār-e Sharīf is worst in April — around 35 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateApr 1735 µg/m³Jan 1623 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan22Moderate
Feb25Moderate
Mar32Moderate
Apr35Poor
May33Moderate
Jun25Moderate
Jul26Moderate
Aug24Moderate
Sep28Moderate
Oct27Moderate
Nov27Moderate
Dec25Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Mazār-e Sharīf?

Mazār-e Sharīf sits at 36.7°N, 67.1°E, 361 m above sea level, in Afghanistan. The nearest listed city is Balkh, 20 km away.

AībakSang-e ChārakSar-e PulShibirghānQarqīn

Topography around Mazār-e Sharīf

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mazār-e Sharīf.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mazār-e Sharīf has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 65 m around an average of 367 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,133 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,457 m.

The land around Mazār-e Sharīf is covered by artificial surfaces (90%) within 3 km, bare terrain (50%) and cropland (22%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (63%) within 80 km.

3 km
65 m
16 km
1,133 m
80 km
2,457 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Balkh 20 km · Khulm 52 km · Termez 59 km · Aībak 95 km · Sang-e Chārak 113 km · Sar-e Pul 119 km · Shibirghān 121 km · Qarqīn 123 km

Afghanistan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 17% of US
price level, 2024
GDP per capita
$417
2024
Happiness
1.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
31%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
4
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
15.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Muslim 100%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Mazār-e Sharīf (36.709°, 67.1109°, elevation 361 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).