Veliko Tarnovo weather in December

In December, Veliko Tarnovo sees average daytime highs of 5°C and overnight lows near -2°C, with 62 mm of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 6°C in the first days to 4°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Veliko Tarnovo's 12th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Veliko Tarnovo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-2°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
62 mm
9.7 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
7:49 AM – 4:39 PM
Cloud cover
64%
12th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
1.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.1
out of 10

Veliko Tarnovo is city in Veliko Tarnovo municipality, Veliko Tarnovo oblast, Bulgaria.

Air quality
Elevated
PM2.5 22.9 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
1,948/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 4°C by the end.

A typical December day in Veliko Tarnovo reaches about 5°C in the afternoon and slips back to -2°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -1°C and 11°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
170
270
360
460
560
660
76-1
86-1
95-1
105-1
115-1
125-1
135-1
145-2
155-2
165-2
174-2
184-2
194-2
204-2
214-2
224-2
234-2
244-3
254-3
264-3
274-3
284-3
294-3
304-3
314-3

How December really feels in Veliko Tarnovo

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.

Veliko Tarnovo weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -3°568.96.39.20.0
Feb / -2°548.55.910.20.5
Mar10° / 6811.14.311.62.4
Apr16° / 7211.60.913.14.7
May21° / 11°9714014.45.9
Jun25° / 15°8512.1015.16.6
Jul27° / 16°7910.2014.96.9
Aug27° / 16°506.9013.87.4
Sep23° / 12°647.5012.37.4
Oct17° / 597.80.510.85.6
Nov10° / 567.52.39.52.6
Dec / -2°629.75.88.90.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
24060
34060
44060
54060
64060
74060
84159
94159
104159
114060
124060
134159
144159
154159
164060
174060
184060
193961
204060
214060
224060
234060
243961
253961
263862
273862
283862
293862
303961
314060

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Veliko Tarnovo gets around 62 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 34% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13112
23113
33113
43113
53114
63014
73014
83015
93015
103016
113016
123017
133018
143018
153019
163019
173019
183020
193020
203121
213121
223222
233222
243223
253323
263323
273323
283324
293424
303424
313424

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 8 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:36 AM to 7:55 AM, and sunset from 4:39 PM to 4:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:364:39
29.07:374:39
39.07:384:38
49.07:394:38
59.07:404:38
69.07:414:38
78.97:424:38
88.97:424:38
98.97:434:38
108.97:444:38
118.97:454:38
128.97:464:38
138.97:474:38
148.87:474:38
158.87:484:38
168.87:494:39
178.87:494:39
188.87:504:39
198.87:514:40
208.87:514:40
218.87:524:40
228.87:524:41
238.87:534:41
248.87:534:42
258.87:534:42
268.87:544:43
278.87:544:44
288.87:544:44
298.87:554:45
308.87:554:46
318.97:554:46

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.43 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.43 kWh/m² to a high of 6.32 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.43 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.5Dim
21.5Dim
31.5Dim
41.4Dim
51.4Dim
61.4Dim
71.4Dim
81.4Dim
91.4Dim
101.4Dim
111.4Dim
121.4Dim
131.4Dim
141.4Dim
151.4Dim
161.4Dim
171.4Dim
181.4Dim
191.4Dim
201.4Dim
211.4Dim
221.4Dim
231.4Dim
241.4Dim
251.4Dim
261.4Dim
271.5Dim
281.5Dim
291.5Dim
301.5Dim
311.5Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Veliko Tarnovo?

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

0.1
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Veliko Tarnovo.

What to pack for Veliko Tarnovo in December

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

In December, Veliko Tarnovo sees daytime highs around 5°C and nights near -2°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 Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo peaks around July 17 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 17UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo is worst in March — around 29 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.6× the cleanest month (December, 18 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Veliko Tarnovo's WHO annual average of 22.9 µg/m³.

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMar 2029 µg/m³Dec 1218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan24Moderate
Feb24Moderate
Mar29Moderate
Apr27Moderate
May26Moderate
Jun26Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov20Moderate
Dec18Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Veliko Tarnovo?

Veliko Tarnovo sits at 43.1°N, 25.6°E, 207 m above sea level, in Bulgaria. The nearest listed city is Gorna Oryahovitsa, 8.0 km away.

GabrovoSevlievoKazanlakPopovoSvishtovZimniceaSliven

Topography around Veliko Tarnovo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Veliko Tarnovo has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 288 m around an average of 236 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 652 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,352 m.

The land around Veliko Tarnovo is covered by trees (60%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 3 km, trees (43%) and cropland (38%) within 16 km, and trees (48%) and cropland (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
288 m
16 km
652 m
80 km
2,352 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Gorna Oryahovitsa 8.0 km · Gabrovo 34 km · Sevlievo 43 km · Kazanlak 55 km · Popovo 57 km · Svishtov 64 km · Zimnicea 67 km · Sliven 72 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 Veliko Tarnovo (43.0812°, 25.629°, elevation 207 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).