Katoomba weather in December

In December, Katoomba sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 117 mm of rain across 13.3 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of December to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Katoomba's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Katoomba's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
12°
10th coldest
Rainfall
117 mm
13.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:48 AM – 8:02 PM
Cloud cover
57%
8th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Katoomba is town in New South Wales, Australia.

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month.

A typical December day in Katoomba reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than January.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12411
22411
32411
42412
52412
62412
72412
82412
92412
102412
112412
122412
132412
142412
152412
162412
172412
182412
192412
202513
212513
222513
232513
242513
252513
262513
272513
282513
292513
302513
312513

How December really feels in Katoomba

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 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
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Katoomba weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 14°12515.3146.0
Feb24° / 14°14415.413.35.9
Mar22° / 12°11815.512.35.9
Apr19° / 599.211.26.3
May15° / 496.410.35.3
Jun12° / 597.69.83.7
Jul12° / 356.1103.6
Aug14° / 476.410.74.4
Sep17° / 528.311.85.9
Oct20° / 7610.612.86.3
Nov22° / 10°11113.913.76.1
Dec24° / 12°11713.314.26.4

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25050
35050
44951
55050
64951
74951
84852
94951
104852
114951
124951
134951
144852
154852
164852
174951
184852
194852
204951
214951
224951
234951
244951
255050
265050
275050
284951
294951
304951
315050

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Katoomba gets around 117 mm of rain over 13.3 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 44% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
146
246
345
445
545
644
744
844
944
1043
1143
1243
1343
1444
1544
1644
1744
1844
1945
2044
2144
2244
2344
2444
2543
2643
2744
2844
2944
3044
3144

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 59% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
169247
269247
367258
467258
567258
666268
766268
866268
965278
1064279
1163289
1262299
1362299
1461309
1561309
1660319
1759329
1859329
1958339
2057349
2157349
2256359
23543610
24543610
25543610
26523711
27523711
28513712
29503813
30493814
31483815

Wind in December

Winds average 9 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
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 14 h 06 min at the start of December to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:46 AM to 5:56 AM, and sunset from 7:51 PM to 8:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:467:51
214.15:467:52
314.15:467:53
414.15:467:53
514.15:467:54
614.15:467:55
714.25:467:56
814.25:467:56
914.25:467:57
1014.25:477:58
1114.25:477:59
1214.25:477:59
1314.25:478:00
1414.25:478:01
1514.25:488:01
1614.25:488:02
1714.25:488:02
1814.25:498:03
1914.25:498:04
2014.25:508:04
2114.25:508:05
2214.25:508:05
2314.25:518:05
2414.25:518:06
2514.25:528:06
2614.25:538:07
2714.25:538:07
2814.25:548:07
2914.25:548:08
3014.25:558:08
3114.25:568:08

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.64 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.41 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 6.64 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.5Intense
36.6Intense
46.6Intense
56.6Intense
66.6Intense
76.6Intense
86.6Intense
96.6Intense
106.6Intense
116.6Intense
126.6Intense
136.6Intense
146.6Intense
156.6Intense
166.6Intense
176.7Intense
186.7Intense
196.7Intense
206.7Intense
216.7Intense
226.8Intense
236.8Intense
246.8Intense
256.8Intense
266.9Intense
276.9Intense
286.9Intense
297.0Intense
307.0Intense
317.0Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Katoomba

In seasonPeak

In December, Katoomba sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Katoomba's rainy season runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Katoomba?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.5
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Katoomba for sightseeing.

What to pack for Katoomba in December

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

In December, Katoomba sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 12°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Katoomba 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 Katoomba peaks around January 18 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 18UV 13Jun 18UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct9Very high
Nov10Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Katoomba 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 Katoomba is worst in December — around 49 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 12.5× the cleanest month (July, 4 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModeratePoorDec 1545 µg/m³Jul 214 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb5Good
Mar6Good
Apr9Good
May14Moderate
Jun8Good
Jul4Good
Aug5Good
Sep6Good
Oct7Good
Nov21Moderate
Dec49Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Katoomba?

Katoomba sits at 33.7°S, 150.3°E, 0 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Blue Mountains, 2.0 km away.

Topography around Katoomba

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Katoomba has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 724 m around an average of 850 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,002 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,382 m.

The land around Katoomba is covered by trees (91%) within 3 km, trees (90%) within 16 km, and trees (72%) and grassland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
724 m
16 km
1,002 m
80 km
1,382 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Blue Mountains 2.0 km · Glenmore Park 34 km · Cranebrook 37 km · St Clair 45 km · Mount Druitt 47 km · Quakers Hill 53 km · Blacktown 57 km · Prestons 58 km

Australia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 90% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$65,130
2025
Happiness
6.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
4.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
none 38%Roman Catholic 20%Protestant 18%other Christian 4%

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 Katoomba (-33.7198°, 150.3074°, elevation 0 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).