Smolyan weather in December

In December, Smolyan sees average daytime highs of 4°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 102 mm of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 6°C in the first days to 3°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 12 min at the start of December to 9 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Smolyan's 8th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Smolyan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
102 mm
9.7 wet days
Daylight
9 hours
7:47 AM – 4:47 PM
Cloud cover
59%
8th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
1.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.1
out of 10

Smolyan is city in Smolyan municipality, Smolyan oblast, Bulgaria.

Air quality
Moderate
PM10 33.9 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
228/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 6°C in the first days to 3°C by the end.

A typical December day in Smolyan reaches about 4°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -2°C and 10°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
16-1
26-1
36-1
46-1
56-1
65-2
75-2
85-2
95-2
105-2
115-3
124-3
134-3
144-3
154-3
164-3
174-3
184-3
194-4
204-4
214-4
224-4
233-4
243-4
253-4
263-4
273-4
283-4
293-4
303-4
313-4

How December really feels in Smolyan

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 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
31
wind chill below the day's low

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

Smolyan weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -4°748.56.29.30.0
Feb / -4°749.46.410.30.1
Mar / -1°9612.86.411.71.4
Apr13° / 10115.61.913.13.0
May17° / 13317.30.114.34.7
Jun22° / 11°140170155.7
Jul24° / 13°9812.6014.76.9
Aug24° / 13°649.3013.77.5
Sep20° / 10°609.1012.36.7
Oct15° / 658.20.710.94.9
Nov / 818.22.29.72.1
Dec / -3°1029.75.590.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24654
34654
44654
54654
64456
74456
84555
94555
104555
114654
124753
134753
144654
154654
164654
174555
184555
194654
204654
214654
224654
234654
244654
254555
264555
274555
284555
294654
304753
314753

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Smolyan gets around 102 mm of rain and snow over 9.7 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 31% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13312
23313
33313
43314
53315
63315
73216
83217
93217
103218
113219
123119
133119
143120
153020
163020
173020
182920
192920
202919
212919
222919
233019
243019
253019
263019
273019
283020
292920
302920
312920

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 7 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 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
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 12 min at the start of December to 9 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:35 AM to 7:54 AM, and sunset from 4:47 PM to 4:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:354:47
29.27:364:47
39.27:374:47
49.27:384:47
59.17:384:47
69.17:394:46
79.17:404:46
89.17:414:46
99.17:424:46
109.17:434:46
119.07:444:46
129.07:444:47
139.07:454:47
149.07:464:47
159.07:474:47
169.07:474:47
179.07:484:48
189.07:484:48
199.07:494:48
209.07:504:49
219.07:504:49
229.07:514:50
239.07:514:50
249.07:514:51
259.07:524:51
269.07:524:52
279.07:534:52
289.07:534:53
299.07:534:54
309.07:534:54
319.07:544:55

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.65 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.65 kWh/m² to a high of 6.54 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.65 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.7Dim
21.7Dim
31.7Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.7Dim
71.7Dim
81.7Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.6Dim
181.6Dim
191.7Dim
201.7Dim
211.7Dim
221.7Dim
231.7Dim
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.7Dim
271.7Dim
281.7Dim
291.7Dim
301.7Dim
311.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Smolyan?

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

0.1
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Smolyan.

What to pack for Smolyan in December

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

In December, Smolyan sees daytime highs around 4°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Smolyan in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Smolyan peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateVery highHighModerateLowJun 23UV 9Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr8Very high
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Smolyan?

Smolyan sits at 41.6°N, 24.7°E, 921 m above sea level, in Bulgaria. The nearest listed city is Asenovgrad, 51 km away.

AsenovgradXánthiKardzhaliPeshteraPlovdivDrámaParvomay

Topography around Smolyan

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Smolyan has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 780 m around an average of 1,111 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,529 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,182 m.

The land around Smolyan is covered by trees (78%) within 3 km, trees (89%) within 16 km, and trees (61%) within 80 km.

3 km
780 m
16 km
1,529 m
80 km
2,182 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Asenovgrad 51 km · Xánthi 51 km · Kardzhali 55 km · Peshtera 61 km · Plovdiv 65 km · Dráma 66 km · Parvomay 72 km · Kavala 75 km

Bulgaria travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 23% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$20,328
2025
Happiness
5.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
96%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
9.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 594
Religion
Christian 65%Muslim 10%none 5%other 0%

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 Smolyan (41.5744°, 24.712°, elevation 921 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).