Monteverde weather in December

In December, Monteverde sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 44 mm of rain across 7.5 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% 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 Monteverde's 4th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Monteverde's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
10th warmest
Overnight low
19°
4th coldest
Rainfall
44 mm
7.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
5:53 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
56%
4th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
4.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical December day in Monteverde reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°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)
12619
22619
32619
42619
52619
62619
72619
82619
92619
102619
112619
122619
132619
142619
152619
162619
172619
182619
192619
202619
212619
222619
232619
242619
252619
262619
272619
282619
292619
302619
312619

Monteverde weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 18°123.511.57.9
Feb27° / 18°9211.78.0
Mar29° / 19°82.111.97.0
Apr29° / 20°467.712.25.5
May28° / 20°26021.412.54.2
Jun27° / 20°28725.612.63.8
Jul27° / 20°20022.512.54.3
Aug27° / 20°24624.412.34.1
Sep27° / 20°34628.312.13.5
Oct26° / 20°3812811.83.7
Nov26° / 19°16519.411.55.0
Dec26° / 19°447.511.47.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 27% 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 (%)
14159
24159
34456
44456
54456
64654
74654
84753
94852
104951
115050
125149
135248
145347
155446
165644
175743
185941
196040
206139
216337
226436
236535
246634
256634
266733
276832
286832
296931
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Monteverde gets around 44 mm of rain over 7.5 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 25% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
238
336
435
533
632
731
830
929
1028
1127
1226
1326
1425
1524
1624
1723
1822
1922
2021
2121
2220
2320
2419
2519
2618
2718
2817
2917
3017
3116

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 63% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 63% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
112079
202179
302278
402377
512475
612673
712772
812871
912970
1013069
1113168
1213267
1313366
1413465
1513564
1613663
1713762
1813861
1913960
2014059
2114158
2214257
2314356
2414455
2514653
2614752
2714851
2814950
2915049
3015148
3115346

Wind in December

Winds average 10 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

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 5:46 AM to 6:00 AM, and sunset from 5:12 PM to 5:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.45:465:12
211.45:465:12
311.45:475:13
411.45:475:13
511.45:485:13
611.45:485:14
711.45:495:14
811.45:495:14
911.45:505:15
1011.45:505:15
1111.45:515:15
1211.45:515:16
1311.45:525:16
1411.45:525:17
1511.45:535:17
1611.45:535:17
1711.45:545:18
1811.45:545:18
1911.45:555:19
2011.45:555:19
2111.45:565:20
2211.45:565:20
2311.45:575:21
2411.45:575:21
2511.45:585:22
2611.45:585:22
2711.45:595:23
2811.45:595:23
2911.45:595:24
3011.46:005:24
3111.46:005:25

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.57 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.91 kWh/m² to a high of 6.29 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 4.57 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Monteverde

In seasonPeak

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

Monteverde'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 Monteverde?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Monteverde for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Monteverde in December

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

In December, Monteverde sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 19°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Monteverde in December

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 52 km away) is warmest in April at about 29°C and coldest in November near 28°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
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Monteverde in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Monteverde peaks around March 17 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 17UV 14Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Monteverde 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 Monteverde 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 Monteverde?

Monteverde sits at 10.3°N, 84.8°W, 0 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is La Fortuna, 26 km away.

La FortunaCañasChacaritaPuntarenasEsparzaQuesadaSan_Ramon_Nicoya

Topography around Monteverde

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Monteverde has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,048 m around an average of 1,390 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,704 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,891 m.

The land around Monteverde is covered by trees (90%) within 3 km, trees (83%) within 16 km, and trees (60%) and grassland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,048 m
16 km
1,704 m
80 km
2,891 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
December weather nearby: La Fortuna 26 km · Cañas 34 km · Chacarita 36 km · Puntarenas 37 km · Esparza 38 km · Quesada 41 km · San_Ramon_ 45 km · Nicoya 72 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 Monteverde (10.3077°, -84.8106°, elevation 0 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).