Mar del Plata weather in December

In December, Mar del Plata sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 69 mm of rain across 8 wet days and about 14.6 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 24 min at the start of December to 14 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Mar del Plata's 1st-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mar del Plata's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
15°
9th coldest
Rainfall
69 mm
8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
5:28 AM – 8:05 PM
Cloud cover
44%
1st clearest
Wind
20 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.61 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.2
out of 10

Mar del Plata is city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

Density
7,465/km²
people per km²
Founded
1874

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical December day in Mar del Plata reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C warmer than November and about 2°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12014
22014
32014
42014
52114
62114
72114
82114
92114
102115
112115
122115
132115
142215
152215
162215
172215
182215
192215
202216
212216
222216
232316
242316
252316
262316
272316
282316
292316
302317
312317

Mar del Plata weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 3rd-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 17°778.314.37.4
Feb23° / 17°767.513.57.3
Mar21° / 16°728.112.37.0
Apr19° / 13°778.6116.3
May15° / 11°496.8105.0
Jun13° / 606.99.43.7
Jul11° / 5479.63.1
Aug12° / 60710.53.6
Sep14° / 607.511.74.1
Oct16° / 10°809135.1
Nov19° / 13°779.314.16.3
Dec22° / 15°69814.67.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in December, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 36%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36337
46337
56337
66337
76238
86238
96238
106238
116238
126238
136238
146337
156337
166337
176337
186436
196436
206535
216535
226634
236634
246634
256634
266634
276634
286634
296634
306634
316634

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Mar del Plata gets around 69 mm of rain over 8 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 26% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
229
329
429
528
628
728
827
927
1026
1126
1226
1326
1425
1525
1625
1725
1825
1925
2025
2125
2225
2325
2425
2525
2625
2725
2825
2925
3025
3125

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 41% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 6% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15531131
25431141
35431141
45331151
55331151
65231161
75231161
85131171
94932172
104932182
114832182
124733182
134633193
144533193
154334194
164234204
174134215
183934225
193833236
203633247
213533257
223332268
233231279
2431312910
2530303010
2629293011
2728293112
2828283212
2927283313
3026273313
3126273414

Wind in December

Winds average 20 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 20 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
120breezy
220breezy
320breezy
421breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1220breezy
1320breezy
1420breezy
1520breezy
1620breezy
1720breezy
1820breezy
1920breezy
2020breezy
2120breezy
2220breezy
2320breezy
2420breezy
2520breezy
2620breezy
2720breezy
2820breezy
2920breezy
3020light breeze
3120light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 24 min at the start of December to 14 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:27 AM to 5:35 AM, and sunset from 7:53 PM to 8:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.45:277:53
214.55:277:54
314.55:267:55
414.55:267:56
514.55:267:57
614.55:267:58
714.55:267:59
814.65:267:59
914.65:268:00
1014.65:268:01
1114.65:278:02
1214.65:278:02
1314.65:278:03
1414.65:278:04
1514.65:278:04
1614.65:288:05
1714.65:288:06
1814.65:288:06
1914.65:298:07
2014.65:298:07
2114.65:308:08
2214.65:308:08
2314.65:308:09
2414.65:318:09
2514.65:328:10
2614.65:328:10
2714.65:338:10
2814.65:338:11
2914.65:348:11
3014.65:358:11
3114.65:358:11

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 7.61 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.92 kWh/m² to a high of 7.61 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 7.61 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.4Intense
27.4Intense
37.4Intense
47.5Intense
57.5Intense
67.5Intense
77.5Intense
87.5Intense
97.5Intense
107.5Intense
117.6Intense
127.6Intense
137.6Intense
147.6Intense
157.6Intense
167.6Intense
177.6Intense
187.6Intense
197.7Intense
207.7Intense
217.7Intense
227.7Intense
237.7Intense
247.7Intense
257.7Intense
267.6Intense
277.6Intense
287.6Intense
297.6Intense
307.6Intense
317.6Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Mar del Plata?

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

7.2
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.8
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Mar del Plata for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Mar del Plata in December

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

In December, Mar del Plata sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 15°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear and a windbreaker. About 8 days see rain.

sun protectionrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Mar del Plata in December

The nearest coast averages about 17°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 15 km away) is warmest in February at about 20°C and coldest in August near 10°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jan 29 to Mar 10 — about 1.3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Cool
Feb20Refreshing
Mar20Cool
Apr18Cool
May15Cool
Jun13Bracing
Jul11Bracing
Aug10Bracing
Sep11Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov15Bracing
Dec17Cool

UV index in Mar del Plata in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mar del Plata peaks around December 22 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 2 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateVery highExtremeDec 22UV 12Jun 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar8Very high
Apr5High
May3Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct7Very high
Nov10Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mar del Plata?

Mar del Plata sits at 38.0°S, 57.6°W, 14 m above sea level, in Argentina. The nearest listed city is Santa Clara del Mar, 19 km away.

Topography around Mar del Plata

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mar del Plata.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mar del Plata has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 51 m around an average of 17 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 125 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 386 m.

The land around Mar del Plata is covered by artificial surfaces (70%) within 3 km, water (45%) and cropland (23%) within 16 km, and water (35%), cropland (31%) and grassland (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
51 m
16 km
125 m
80 km
386 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Santa Clara del Mar 19 km · Miramar 39 km · Balcarce 64 km · Villa Gesell 97 km · Pinamar 116 km · General Juan Madariaga 117 km · Necochea 120 km · Ayacucho 125 km

Argentina travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / I
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$14,898
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.5
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 575
Religion
Roman Catholic 63%none 19%Evangelical 15%Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ 1%

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 Mar del Plata (-38.0004°, -57.5562°, elevation 14 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).