Cañas weather in December

In December, Cañas sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 42 mm of rain across 9.2 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of December to 11 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Cañas's 4th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cañas's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
11th warmest
Overnight low
21°
4th coldest
Rainfall
42 mm
9.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
5:55 AM – 5:18 PM
Cloud cover
56%
4th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
4.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical December day in Cañas reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12721
22721
32721
42721
52721
62721
72721
82721
92721
102721
112721
122721
132721
142721
152721
162721
172721
182721
192720
202720
212720
222720
232720
242720
252720
262720
272720
282720
292720
302720
312720

How December really feels in Cañas

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.

Cañas weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 20°164.811.57.6
Feb28° / 20°82.311.77.9
Mar29° / 20°72.211.96.9
Apr30° / 21°377.212.25.2
May29° / 22°22121.812.53.7
Jun28° / 22°26525.612.63.5
Jul28° / 22°17822.712.54.2
Aug28° / 22°20924.312.33.8
Sep28° / 21°29027.712.13.3
Oct28° / 21°31227.611.83.6
Nov27° / 21°1341811.55.0
Dec27° / 21°429.211.46.7

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 26% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 44%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13961
24060
34159
44357
54357
64357
74555
84654
94852
104852
115050
125149
135248
145347
155545
165644
175842
186040
196139
206337
216535
226634
236733
246832
256931
266931
277030
287030
296931
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Cañas gets around 42 mm of rain over 9.2 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 31% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
144
243
342
441
539
638
737
836
935
1034
1133
1232
1332
1431
1530
1630
1729
1828
1928
2027
2126
2226
2325
2424
2524
2623
2723
2822
2922
3022
3121

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the muggy band about 78% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 95% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
136235
236433
336532
436730
536928
637126
737225
837423
947422
1047521
1147719
1247818
1347917
1457817
1557916
1658015
1758015
1858114
1968113
2068113
2168212
2268212
2368311
2468311
2568410
2668410
276859
286859
296868
306877
317876

Wind in December

Winds average 14 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of December to 11 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:47 AM to 6:02 AM, and sunset from 5:13 PM to 5:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.45:475:13
211.45:485:13
311.45:485:14
411.45:495:14
511.45:495:14
611.45:505:15
711.45:505:15
811.45:515:15
911.45:515:16
1011.45:525:16
1111.45:525:16
1211.45:535:17
1311.45:535:17
1411.45:545:18
1511.45:545:18
1611.45:555:18
1711.45:555:19
1811.45:565:19
1911.45:565:20
2011.45:575:20
2111.45:575:21
2211.45:585:21
2311.45:585:22
2411.45:595:22
2511.45:595:22
2611.46:005:23
2711.46:005:23
2811.46:005:24
2911.46:015:24
3011.46:015:25
3111.46:025:25

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.31 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.89 kWh/m² to a high of 6.1 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 4.31 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Bright
24.0Bright
34.1Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Cañas

In seasonPeak

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

Cañas's rainy season runs May–October, 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 Cañas?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Cañas for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Cañas in December

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

In December, Cañas sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 21°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Cañas in December

The nearest coast averages about 27°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 61 km away) is warmest in May at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec27Warm

UV index in Cañas in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cañas peaks around March 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 19UV 14Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Cañas 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 Cañas is worst in May — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (January, 10 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1623 µg/m³Jan 1210 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb11Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr21Moderate
May23Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct15Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Cañas?

Cañas sits at 10.4°N, 85.1°W, 86 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Monteverde, 34 km away.

MonteverdeLiberiaNicoyaLa FortunaPuntarenasSan JoséChacaritaEsparza

Topography around Cañas

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cañas has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 181 m around an average of 83 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 723 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,977 m.

The land around Cañas is covered by grassland (46%) and trees (41%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and grassland (40%) within 16 km, and trees (59%) and grassland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
181 m
16 km
723 m
80 km
1,977 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
December weather nearby: Monteverde 34 km · Liberia 44 km · Nicoya 50 km · La Fortuna 50 km · Puntarenas 58 km · San José 58 km · Chacarita 61 km · Esparza 68 km

Costa Rica travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 59% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$19,970
2025
Happiness
7.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
81%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
17.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 516
Religion
Roman Catholic 48%none 27%Evangelical and Pentecostal 20%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 Cañas (10.4311°, -85.0982°, elevation 86 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).