Joensuu weather in December

In December, Joensuu sees average daytime highs of -3°C and overnight lows near -7°C, with 53 mm of precipitation across 12.7 wet days and about 4.6 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about -2°C in the first days to -5°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 5 h 12 min at the start of December to 4 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Joensuu's 11th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Joensuu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-3°
10th warmest
Overnight low
-7°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
53 mm
12.7 wet days
Daylight
4 h 30 min
9:42 AM – 2:12 PM
Cloud cover
90%
11th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
0.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10
Air quality
Excellent
PM10 8.7 µg/m³ · 2019

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about -2°C in the first days to -5°C by the end.

A typical December day in Joensuu reaches about -3°C in the afternoon and slips back to -7°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -12°C and 2°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-20°-10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-1-5
2-2-5
3-2-5
4-2-5
5-2-5
6-2-5
7-2-5
8-2-5
9-2-6
10-2-6
11-2-6
12-2-6
13-3-6
14-3-7
15-3-7
16-3-7
17-3-7
18-4-7
19-4-8
20-4-8
21-4-8
22-4-8
23-4-8
24-5-9
25-5-9
26-5-9
27-5-9
28-5-9
29-5-9
30-5-9
31-5-9

How December really feels in Joensuu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 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
31
30 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Joensuu weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-6° / -10°4110.712.25.60.0
Feb-6° / -11°359.410.38.20.0
Mar-1° / -7°3499.611.20.0
Apr / -2°327.94.414.40.4
May12° / 499.30.617.43.3
Jun18° / 11°7512.7019.35.2
Jul20° / 14°8512.8018.55.9
Aug18° / 12°8213.2015.85.3
Sep13° / 6811.90.112.63.2
Oct / 6312.42.79.50.5
Nov / -3°5511.68.66.50.0
Dec-3° / -7°5312.712.54.60.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 4% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 91%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1892
2892
3991
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
271090
281090
291090
301090
311090

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Joensuu gets around 53 mm of rain and snow over 12.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 39% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days, and about 13 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14240
24240
34340
44240
54240
64240
74240
84140
94140
104139
114039
124039
133939
143938
153838
163838
173838
183838
193838
203838
213839
223839
233839
243840
253840
263840
273739
283739
293639
303639
313639

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 14 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 5 h 12 min at the start of December to 4 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 36 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 9:14 AM to 9:47 AM, and sunset from 2:27 PM to 2:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
15.29:142:27
25.19:172:25
35.19:192:24
45.09:212:22
55.09:242:21
64.99:262:20
74.89:282:18
84.89:302:17
94.79:322:16
104.79:332:15
114.79:352:15
124.69:372:14
134.69:382:13
144.69:402:13
154.59:412:12
164.59:422:12
174.59:432:12
184.59:442:12
194.49:452:12
204.49:462:12
214.49:462:12
224.49:472:13
234.49:472:13
244.49:482:14
254.49:482:15
264.59:482:16
274.59:482:17
284.59:482:18
294.59:472:19
304.69:472:20
314.69:472:22

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.08 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.08 kWh/m² to a high of 5.31 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.08 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.1Dim
20.1Dim
30.1Dim
40.1Dim
50.1Dim
60.1Dim
70.1Dim
80.1Dim
90.1Dim
100.1Dim
110.1Dim
120.1Dim
130.1Dim
140.1Dim
150.1Dim
160.1Dim
170.1Dim
180.1Dim
190.1Dim
200.1Dim
210.1Dim
220.1Dim
230.1Dim
240.1Dim
250.1Dim
260.1Dim
270.1Dim
280.1Dim
290.1Dim
300.1Dim
310.1Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Joensuu?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Joensuu.

What to pack for Joensuu in December

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

In December, Joensuu sees daytime highs around -3°C and nights near -7°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Joensuu in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 0. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Joensuu peaks around July 14 at about 5 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJul 14UV 5Dec 17UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar1Low
Apr3Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep2Low
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Joensuu?

Joensuu sits at 62.6°N, 29.8°E, 72 m above sea level, in Finland. The nearest listed city is Kontiolahti, 18 km away.

SavonlinnaVarkausSortavalaKuopioSiilinjärviPieksämäkiMikkeli

Topography around Joensuu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Joensuu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 43 m around an average of 83 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 112 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 317 m.

The land around Joensuu is covered by trees (44%) and artificial surfaces (32%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and water (30%) within 16 km, and trees (74%) and water (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
43 m
16 km
112 m
80 km
317 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Kontiolahti 18 km · Savonlinna 93 km · Varkaus 102 km · Sortavala 110 km · Kuopio 111 km · Siilinjärvi 119 km · Pieksämäki 139 km · Mikkeli 164 km

Finland travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 85% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$56,149
2025
Happiness
7.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 603
Religion
Lutheran 67%none 31%other 2%Greek Orthodox 1%

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 Joensuu (62.6012°, 29.7632°, elevation 72 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).