Thimphu weather in December

In December, Thimphu sees average daytime highs of 9°C and overnight lows near -2°C, with 59 mm of precipitation across 17 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 10°C in the first days to 8°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 24 min at the start of December to 10 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Thimphu's 2nd-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Thimphu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-2°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
59 mm
17 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
6:49 AM – 5:06 PM
Cloud cover
47%
2nd clearest
Wind
4 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
3 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.6
out of 10

Thimphu is capital of Bhutan.

Air quality
Moderate
PM10 42 µg/m³ · 2015
Density
3,655/km²
people per km²
Founded
1955

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 10°C in the first days to 8°C by the end.

A typical December day in Thimphu reaches about 9°C in the afternoon and slips back to -2°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 5°C and 13°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-10°-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1110
2110
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
810-1
910-1
1010-1
119-1
129-1
139-1
149-1
159-1
169-2
179-2
189-2
199-2
208-2
218-2
228-2
238-2
248-3
258-3
268-3
278-3
288-3
298-3
308-3
317-3

How December really feels in Thimphu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 29 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
29
wind chill below the day's low

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

Thimphu weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -3°6617.216.410.50.8
Feb / -2°942116.2111.1
Mar11° / 1522710.511.81.8
Apr15° / 16026.1112.62.8
May17° / 23628.8013.33.3
Jun19° / 12°37829.2013.73.2
Jul19° / 13°48430.2013.63.1
Aug19° / 13°35028.80133.3
Sep18° / 11°25526.2012.23.5
Oct16° / 13922.80.111.33.5
Nov12° / 7218.22.410.62.7
Dec / -2°59179.810.31.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 32% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
26040
36139
46139
56139
66238
76337
86337
96436
106535
116634
126733
136832
146931
156931
166931
177030
187129
197129
207228
217228
227426
237426
247426
257426
267525
277525
287624
297723
307723
317723

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Thimphu gets around 59 mm of rain and snow over 17 wet days in December, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 54% and peaks near 62% on the wettest days, and about 10 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
16217
26218
36219
46220
56121
66122
76023
85924
95825
105726
115727
125628
135529
145530
155531
165432
175433
185434
195335
205236
215137
225138
235038
245039
254939
264940
274840
284841
294741
304742
314643

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 4 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 24 min at the start of December to 10 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:39 AM to 6:56 AM, and sunset from 5:03 PM to 5:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.46:395:03
210.46:405:03
310.46:415:03
410.46:425:03
510.36:425:03
610.36:435:03
710.36:445:03
810.36:445:04
910.36:455:04
1010.36:465:04
1110.36:465:04
1210.36:475:05
1310.36:485:05
1410.36:485:05
1510.36:495:05
1610.36:495:06
1710.36:505:06
1810.36:505:07
1910.36:515:07
2010.36:525:07
2110.36:525:08
2210.36:535:08
2310.36:535:09
2410.36:535:09
2510.36:545:10
2610.36:545:10
2710.36:555:11
2810.36:555:11
2910.36:555:12
3010.36:565:13
3110.36:565:13

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3 kWh/m² to a high of 5.43 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 3 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.0Moderate
23.0Moderate
33.0Moderate
43.0Moderate
53.0Moderate
63.0Moderate
72.9Moderate
82.9Moderate
92.9Moderate
102.9Moderate
113.0Moderate
123.0Moderate
133.0Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.1Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.2Moderate
293.2Moderate
303.2Moderate
313.2Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Thimphu

In seasonPeak

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

Thimphu's rainy season runs May–September, 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 Thimphu?

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

1.6
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Thimphu.

What to pack for Thimphu in December

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

In December, Thimphu sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near -2°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. About 17 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Thimphu in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Thimphu peaks around July 12 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 5 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighJul 12UV 15Dec 21UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb8Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun15Extreme
Jul15Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov7High
Dec5High

Air quality in Thimphu 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 Thimphu is worst in February — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.4× the cleanest month (September, 4 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodFeb 2116 µg/m³Sep 164 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb16Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May10Good
Jun6Good
Jul4Good
Aug4Good
Sep4Good
Oct4Good
Nov5Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Thimphu?

Thimphu sits at 27.5°N, 89.6°E, 2,320 m above sea level, in Bhutan. The nearest listed city is Paro, 23 km away.

ParoPunakhaTsirangPhuentsholingTrongsaJakarMongar

Topography around Thimphu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Thimphu has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,129 m around an average of 2,631 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,897 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,127 m.

The land around Thimphu is covered by trees (55%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, trees (85%) within 16 km, and trees (65%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,129 m
16 km
2,897 m
80 km
7,127 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icemoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Paro 23 km · Punakha 27 km · Tsirang 69 km · Phuentsholing 73 km · Trongsa 85 km · Jakar 110 km · Darjeeling 144 km · Mongar 159 km

Bhutan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / D / F / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 23% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$4,493
2025
Happiness
5.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2018
Safe drinking water
66%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.5
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
16.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 473
Religion
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism 22%other 3%

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 Thimphu (27.4661°, 89.6419°, elevation 2,320 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).