San Rafael weather in December

In December, San Rafael sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 72 mm of rain across 10.8 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in December, and the air most often feels humid.

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 San Rafael's 4th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Rafael's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
10th warmest
Overnight low
17°
4th coldest
Rainfall
72 mm
10.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 24 min
5:50 AM – 5:15 PM
Cloud cover
57%
4th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
4.24 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month.

A typical December day in San Rafael reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 26°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)
12417
22417
32417
42417
52417
62417
72417
82417
92417
102417
112417
122417
132417
142417
152417
162417
172417
182417
192417
202417
212417
222417
232417
242417
252417
262417
272417
282417
292417
302417
312417

San Rafael weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 16°295.811.57.8
Feb25° / 16°204.111.78.0
Mar26° / 17°205.211.97.5
Apr27° / 17°6211.212.26.2
May25° / 18°33324.712.44.2
Jun25° / 18°39027.312.63.8
Jul24° / 18°2672512.54.3
Aug25° / 18°35226.412.34.0
Sep24° / 17°42428.312.13.7
Oct24° / 17°44428.811.83.8
Nov24° / 17°22421.511.54.8
Dec24° / 17°7210.811.46.9

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 24% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 46%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13664
23961
33961
44159
54159
64258
74456
84456
94555
104753
114753
124852
135050
145149
155248
165347
175545
185644
195842
205941
216040
226337
236436
246535
256634
266733
276733
286832
296931
306931
317030

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

San Rafael gets around 72 mm of rain over 10.8 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 36% and peaks near 52% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
152
251
349
448
546
645
743
842
941
1040
1139
1238
1337
1436
1535
1634
1734
1833
1932
2031
2131
2230
2329
2428
2528
2627
2726
2826
2925
3025
3124

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the humid band about 58% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
10187012
20197011
30216910
4022699
5023698
6024697
7026686
8127675
9128665
10129664
11130663
12132643
13133642
14135622
15136612
16137602
17139591
18140581
19242551
20243541
21244531
22245521
23247510
24248500
25249480
26251470
27252460
28253450
29254440
30256420
31356410

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 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

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 5:42 AM to 5:57 AM, and sunset from 5:10 PM to 5:23 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.55:425:10
211.55:435:10
311.55:435:11
411.55:445:11
511.45:445:11
611.45:455:12
711.45:455:12
811.45:465:12
911.45:465:13
1011.45:475:13
1111.45:475:13
1211.45:485:14
1311.45:495:14
1411.45:495:15
1511.45:505:15
1611.45:505:15
1711.45:515:16
1811.45:515:16
1911.45:515:17
2011.45:525:17
2111.45:525:18
2211.45:535:18
2311.45:535:19
2411.45:545:19
2511.45:545:20
2611.45:555:20
2711.45:555:21
2811.45:565:21
2911.45:565:22
3011.45:565:22
3111.45:575:23

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.24 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.65 kWh/m² to a high of 5.95 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 4.24 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.9Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.9Moderate
43.9Moderate
54.0Moderate
64.0Moderate
74.0Bright
84.0Bright
94.0Bright
104.1Bright
114.1Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.4Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for San Rafael

In seasonPeak

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

San Rafael'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 San Rafael?

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

6.9
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
5.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit San Rafael for sightseeing.

What to pack for San Rafael in December

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

In December, San Rafael sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 17°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near San Rafael 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 54 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 San Rafael 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 San Rafael 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 San Rafael 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 San Rafael 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 San Rafael?

San Rafael sits at 9.9°N, 84.1°W, 1,037 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is San Felipe, 4.0 km away.

Topography around San Rafael

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Rafael has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 502 m around an average of 1,104 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,874 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,590 m.

The land around San Rafael is covered by artificial surfaces (55%) and trees (35%) within 3 km, trees (56%) and artificial surfaces (30%) within 16 km, and trees (67%) within 80 km.

3 km
502 m
16 km
1,874 m
80 km
3,590 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: San Felipe 4.0 km · San Jose 6.0 km · Colima 7.0 km · San Juan 7.0 km · San Francisco 7.0 km · Calle Blancos 8.0 km · San Juan de Dios 8.0 km · Heredia 8.0 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 San Rafael (9.9283°, -84.1354°, elevation 1,037 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).