La Paz weather in December

In December, La Paz sees average daytime highs of 15°C and overnight lows near 5°C, with 112 mm of precipitation across 22.8 wet days and about 13 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 15°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of December to 13 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is La Paz's 10th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see La Paz's year-round climate.

Daytime high
15°
4th warmest
Overnight low
12th coldest
Precipitation
112 mm
22.8 wet days
Daylight
13 hours
5:59 AM – 6:58 PM
Cloud cover
87%
10th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.0
out of 10

La Paz is seat of government of Bolivia.

Air quality
High
PM10 82 µg/m³ · 2013
Density
10,706/km²
people per km²
Founded
1548

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 15°C through the month.

A typical December day in La Paz reaches about 15°C in the afternoon and slips back to 5°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 12°C and 17°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1165
2165
3165
4155
5155
6155
7155
8155
9155
10155
11155
12155
13155
14155
15155
16155
17155
18155
19155
20155
21155
22145
23145
24145
25145
26145
27145
28145
29145
30145
31145

How December really feels in La Paz

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.

La Paz weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan14° / 13226.40.812.92.4
Feb14° / 11523.20.612.62.4
Mar14° / 8923.40.512.12.7
Apr14° / 4313.80.311.63.8
May15° / 165.40.511.25.0
Jun14° / -2°113.60.8114.9
Jul14° / -2°144.41.411.14.8
Aug14° / -1°216.91.411.44.8
Sep15° / 3612.5111.94.5
Oct16° / 5516.11.112.44.1
Nov16° / 5716.20.412.84.0
Dec15° / 11222.80.7133.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 6% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 92%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11288
21189
31189
41090
51090
61090
7991
8991
9991
10991
111090
121090
131090
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20892
21793
22793
23694
24694
25694
26595
27496
28496
29496
30496
31595

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

La Paz gets around 112 mm of rain and snow over 22.8 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 74% and peaks near 87% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1642
2642
3652
4652
5662
6662
7662
8662
9662
10672
11672
12682
13682
14691
15701
16711
17721
18731
19741
20762
21782
22792
23812
24822
25842
26852
27862
28872
29873
30873
31873

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 6 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of December to 13 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:55 AM to 6:07 AM, and sunset from 6:50 PM to 7:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.95:556:50
212.95:556:50
312.95:556:51
412.95:566:51
512.95:566:52
612.95:566:53
712.95:566:53
813.05:576:54
913.05:576:54
1013.05:576:55
1113.05:586:55
1213.05:586:56
1313.05:586:57
1413.05:596:57
1513.05:596:58
1613.05:596:58
1713.06:006:59
1813.06:006:59
1913.06:017:00
2013.06:017:00
2113.06:027:01
2213.06:027:01
2313.06:037:02
2413.06:037:02
2513.06:047:02
2613.06:047:03
2713.06:057:03
2813.06:057:04
2913.06:067:04
3013.06:067:05
3113.06:077:05

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.25 kWh/m² to a high of 7.08 kWh/m² in November across the year — December's 6.39 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.7Intense
26.7Intense
36.6Intense
46.6Intense
56.6Intense
66.6Intense
76.6Intense
86.5Intense
96.5Intense
106.5Intense
116.5Intense
126.5Intense
136.5Intense
146.5Intense
156.5Intense
166.4Intense
176.4Intense
186.4Intense
196.4Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for La Paz

In seasonPeak

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

La Paz's rainy season runs December–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 La Paz?

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

3.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in La Paz.

What to pack for La Paz in December

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

In December, La Paz sees daytime highs around 15°C and nights near 5°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer. About 23 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectiona warm layer

UV index in La Paz in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 17 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in La Paz peaks around February 8 at about 18 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 11 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 8UV 18Jul 11UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan18Extreme
Feb19Extreme
Mar17Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug13Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct16Extreme
Nov17Extreme
Dec17Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is La Paz?

La Paz sits at 16.5°S, 68.2°W, 3,782 m above sea level, in Bolivia. The nearest listed city is Achocalla, 8.0 km away.

CaranaviSorataCopacabanaQuime

Topography around La Paz

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around La Paz has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 670 m around an average of 3,872 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,225 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,726 m.

The land around La Paz is covered by artificial surfaces (83%) within 3 km, grassland (54%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and grassland (57%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
670 m
16 km
2,225 m
80 km
5,726 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
December weather nearby: Achocalla 8.0 km · Viacha 23 km · Laja 25 km · Tiahuanaco 57 km · Caranavi 97 km · Sorata 97 km · Copacabana 106 km · Quime 113 km

Bolivia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B / C
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 40% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,148
2025
Happiness
5.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
21.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 521
Religion
Roman Catholic 65%Protestant 20%none 6%other 5%

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 La Paz (-16.5°, -68.15°, elevation 3,782 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).