Santo Domingo weather in December

In December, Santo Domingo sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 19 mm of rain across 3.7 wet days and about 10.6 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 12th-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 48% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 42 min at the start of December to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Santo Domingo's 4th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santo Domingo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
11th warmest
Overnight low
19°
4th coldest
Rainfall
19 mm
3.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 36 min
6:58 AM – 5:36 PM
Cloud cover
46%
4th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
3.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.6
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 Santo Domingo reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12820
22720
32720
42720
52720
62720
72719
82719
92719
102719
112719
122719
132719
142719
152719
162719
172719
182719
192719
202719
212719
222719
232719
242719
252719
262719
272719
282719
292719
302719
312719

How December really feels in Santo Domingo

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.

Santo Domingo weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 18°223.610.87.7
Feb28° / 18°24311.27.5
Mar29° / 19°204.211.86.5
Apr31° / 21°376.612.55.1
May31° / 22°12115.513.13.9
Jun32° / 24°15119.913.43.1
Jul32° / 24°9817.813.23.1
Aug33° / 24°11819.412.82.9
Sep32° / 24°14821.912.13.0
Oct30° / 23°10717.311.54.2
Nov28° / 21°367.410.96.6
Dec27° / 19°193.710.67.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27327
37327
47327
57327
67327
77327
87327
97327
107228
117228
127129
137129
146931
156931
166832
176832
186832
196832
206832
216832
226832
236832
246931
256931
267030
276931
286931
297030
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Santo Domingo gets around 19 mm of rain over 3.7 wet days in December, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 13% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
217
316
416
515
614
714
813
913
1012
1112
1212
1312
1412
1512
1612
1712
1812
1912
2012
2111
2211
2312
2412
2512
2612
2711
2811
2911
3011
3111

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 50% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 60% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
128245016
228235116
338235016
438225215
548225115
649225015
759215114
8510215014
9510215113
10611205013
11611205112
12612215012
13712214911
14712214911
15713224910
1671322489
1771422489
1871423488
1971423487
2071423497
2171423496
2271423496
2371423506
2471423515
2571423515
2671422525
2781422524
2881421534
2981421534
3091421524
31101420533

Wind in December

Winds average 12 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 42 min at the start of December to 10 h 36 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 6:49 AM to 7:05 AM, and sunset from 5:32 PM to 5:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.76:495:32
210.76:505:32
310.76:515:32
410.76:515:33
510.76:525:33
610.76:535:33
710.76:535:33
810.76:545:33
910.76:545:34
1010.66:555:34
1110.66:565:34
1210.66:565:34
1310.66:575:35
1410.66:575:35
1510.66:585:35
1610.66:585:36
1710.66:595:36
1810.67:005:37
1910.67:005:37
2010.67:015:37
2110.67:015:38
2210.67:025:38
2310.67:025:39
2410.67:025:39
2510.67:035:40
2610.67:035:40
2710.67:045:41
2810.67:045:41
2910.67:045:42
3010.67:055:43
3110.67:055:43

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.7 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.7 kWh/m² to a high of 6.49 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 3.7 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.7Moderate
163.7Moderate
173.7Moderate
183.7Moderate
193.7Moderate
203.7Moderate
213.7Moderate
223.7Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.7Moderate
313.7Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Santo Domingo

In seasonPeak

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

Santo Domingo sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Santo Domingo's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Santo Domingo?

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

7.6
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.8
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Santo Domingo in December

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

In December, Santo Domingo sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes. About 4 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Santo Domingo in December

The nearest coast averages about 26°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 49 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 25°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr26Warm
May27Warm
Jun28Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov27Warm
Dec26Warm

UV index in Santo Domingo in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santo Domingo peaks around June 13 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 13UV 12Dec 16UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7High
Feb9Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov7High
Dec6High

Air quality in Santo Domingo 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 Santo Domingo is worst in July — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1222 µg/m³Nov 238 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb9Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Santo Domingo?

Santo Domingo sits at 22.6°N, 80.2°W, 51 m above sea level, in Cuba. The nearest listed city is Lajas, 20 km away.

Topography around Santo Domingo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Santo Domingo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 22 m around an average of 47 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 126 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,099 m.

The land around Santo Domingo is covered by grassland (41%) and trees (35%) within 3 km, trees (48%) and grassland (35%) within 16 km, and trees (37%), grassland (26%) and water (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
22 m
16 km
126 m
80 km
1,099 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetlandmangroves
December weather nearby: Lajas 20 km · Cifuentes 21 km · Ranchuelo 26 km · Cruces 27 km · Sagua la Grande 30 km · Santa Clara 35 km · Encrucijada 39 km · Palmira 41 km

Cuba travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / L
110 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 39% of US
price level, 2011
GDP per capita
$9,605
2020
Happiness
5.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2011
Homicide rate
4.5
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
8.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 515
Religion
Christian 59%none 23%folk religion 18%

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 Santo Domingo (22.5867°, -80.2426°, elevation 51 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).