Paraíso weather in December

In December, Paraíso sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 117 mm of rain across 14.1 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 20°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in December, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of December to 11 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Paraíso's 4th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Paraíso's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
11th warmest
Overnight low
13°
4th coldest
Rainfall
117 mm
14.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
5:49 AM – 5:14 PM
Cloud cover
65%
4th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
4.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.6
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 20°C through the month.

A typical December day in Paraíso reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12013
22013
32013
42013
52013
62013
72013
82013
92013
102013
112013
122013
132013
142013
152013
162013
172013
182013
192013
202013
212012
222012
232012
242012
252012
262012
272012
282012
292012
302012
312012

Paraíso 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
Jan20° / 12°628.911.56.5
Feb20° / 12°457.111.76.8
Mar21° / 12°438.911.96.7
Apr22° / 13°6711.812.26.0
May22° / 14°33124.912.44.0
Jun21° / 15°29626.812.63.7
Jul21° / 14°21526.212.53.8
Aug21° / 14°25426.812.33.7
Sep21° / 14°34327.312.13.6
Oct21° / 14°42528.611.83.5
Nov20° / 14°27422.811.54.2
Dec20° / 13°11714.111.45.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12674
22872
32971
42971
53070
63070
73268
83268
93367
103466
113565
123664
133763
143961
154060
164159
174357
184456
194654
204852
214951
225149
235248
245347
255347
265446
275545
285446
295545
305446
315446

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Paraíso gets around 117 mm of rain over 14.1 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 46% and peaks near 60% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
160
259
358
457
556
655
754
853
952
1051
1150
1249
1348
1447
1546
1645
1744
1843
1942
2041
2140
2240
2339
2438
2538
2637
2737
2837
2936
3036
3135

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the comfortable band about 56% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1226711
2236611
3256510
426659
527658
629638
730637
831636
932635
1033625
1134624
1236604
1337594
1438593
1539583
1640573
1742553
1843543
1944542
2045532
2146522
2247512
2348502
2449492
2550492
2650482
2751481
2852471
2952471
3053461
3153461

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
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 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 shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:41 AM to 5:56 AM, and sunset from 5:09 PM to 5:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.55:415:09
211.55:425:09
311.55:425:10
411.55:435:10
511.55:435:10
611.45:445:11
711.45:445:11
811.45:455:11
911.45:455:12
1011.45:465:12
1111.45:465:12
1211.45:475:13
1311.45:475:13
1411.45:485:14
1511.45:485:14
1611.45:495:14
1711.45:495:15
1811.45:505:15
1911.45:505:16
2011.45:515:16
2111.45:515:17
2211.45:525:17
2311.45:525:18
2411.45:535:18
2511.45:535:19
2611.45:545:19
2711.45:545:20
2811.45:545:20
2911.45:555:21
3011.45:555:21
3111.45:565:22

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.4 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.75 kWh/m² to a high of 5.97 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 4.4 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Bright
24.0Bright
34.1Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.4Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.6Bright
254.6Bright
264.6Bright
274.6Bright
284.7Bright
294.7Bright
304.7Bright
314.7Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Paraíso

In seasonPeak

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

Paraíso's rainy season runs May–November, 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 Paraíso?

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

5.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
3.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Paraíso for sightseeing.

What to pack for Paraíso in December

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

In December, Paraíso sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 13°C. Pack rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Paraíso 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 59 km away) is warmest in March at about 30°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°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Paraíso 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 Paraíso peaks around March 19 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 19UV 15Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Paraíso 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 Paraíso is worst in May — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1718 µg/m³Jan 149 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr17Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Paraíso?

Paraíso sits at 9.8°N, 83.9°W, 1,306 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Cartago, 6.0 km away.

TurrialbaSan MiguelIpísPurral

Topography around Paraíso

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Paraíso has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 602 m around an average of 1,311 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,753 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,764 m.

The land around Paraíso is covered by trees (49%) and grassland (35%) within 3 km, trees (70%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (75%) within 80 km.

3 km
602 m
16 km
2,753 m
80 km
3,764 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Cartago 6.0 km · San Diego 16 km · Patarrá 19 km · Curridabat 20 km · Turrialba 21 km · San Miguel 22 km · Ipís 22 km · Purral 22 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 Paraíso (9.8385°, -83.8666°, elevation 1,306 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).