La Rochelle weather in December

In December, La Rochelle sees average daytime highs of 10°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 87 mm of precipitation across 12.8 wet days and about 8.5 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 10°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is La Rochelle's 11th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see La Rochelle's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10°
10th warmest
Overnight low
3rd coldest
Precipitation
87 mm
12.8 wet days
Daylight
8 h 24 min
8:47 AM – 5:14 PM
Cloud cover
69%
11th clearest
Wind
19 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.1
out of 10

La Rochelle is French commune and prefecture of Charente-Maritime, New Aquitaine.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 9.1 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
2,702/km²
people per km²

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 10°C through the month.

A typical December day in La Rochelle reaches about 10°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 5°C and 14°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1117
2117
3117
4117
5116
6116
7116
8116
9106
10106
11106
12106
13106
14106
15106
16106
17106
18106
19106
20106
21106
22106
23106
24106
25106
26106
27106
28106
29106
30106
31106

La Rochelle weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 7711.98.81.9
Feb10° / 589.7102.2
Mar13° / 541011.63.5
Apr15° / 579.813.34.5
May18° / 12°5710.214.75.8
Jun21° / 15°478.415.56.7
Jul23° / 17°367.115.27.5
Aug23° / 17°427.2147.6
Sep21° / 15°55812.36.8
Oct17° / 12°8712.310.75.2
Nov13° / 9212.89.23.3
Dec10° / 8712.88.52.1

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 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 69%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13367
23367
33466
43466
53466
63565
73565
83565
93565
103664
113565
123466
133466
143367
153268
163169
173070
183070
192872
202872
212872
222773
232773
242773
252872
262872
272872
282971
292971
302971
312971

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

La Rochelle gets around 87 mm of rain and snow over 12.8 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 41% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
239
339
439
539
639
739
839
939
1039
1139
1240
1340
1440
1541
1641
1741
1842
1942
2042
2142
2243
2343
2443
2543
2643
2743
2843
2943
3043
3143

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 19 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2619light breeze
2719light breeze
2819light breeze
2919light breeze
3019light breeze
3119light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:33 AM to 8:54 AM, and sunset from 5:15 PM to 5:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.78:335:15
28.78:355:15
38.68:365:15
48.68:375:14
58.68:385:14
68.68:395:14
78.68:405:14
88.58:415:14
98.58:425:13
108.58:435:13
118.58:445:13
128.58:445:13
138.58:455:14
148.58:465:14
158.58:475:14
168.48:475:14
178.48:485:14
188.48:495:15
198.48:495:15
208.48:505:15
218.48:505:16
228.48:515:16
238.48:515:17
248.48:525:17
258.48:525:18
268.48:535:18
278.48:535:19
288.48:535:20
298.58:535:20
308.58:535:21
318.58:545:22

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.08 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.08 kWh/m² to a high of 6.19 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.08 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.2Dim
21.2Dim
31.2Dim
41.2Dim
51.2Dim
61.1Dim
71.1Dim
81.1Dim
91.1Dim
101.1Dim
111.1Dim
121.1Dim
131.1Dim
141.1Dim
151.1Dim
161.1Dim
171.1Dim
181.1Dim
191.1Dim
201.1Dim
211.1Dim
221.1Dim
231.1Dim
241.1Dim
251.1Dim
261.1Dim
271.1Dim
281.1Dim
291.1Dim
301.1Dim
311.1Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit La Rochelle?

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

2.1
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in La Rochelle.

What to pack for La Rochelle in December

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

In December, La Rochelle sees daytime highs around 10°C and nights near 6°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near La Rochelle in December

The nearest coast averages about 12°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 18 km away) is warmest in August at about 20°C and coldest in February near 10°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan10Bracing
Feb10Bracing
Mar10Bracing
Apr12Bracing
May15Bracing
Jun18Cool
Jul19Cool
Aug20Refreshing
Sep19Cool
Oct17Cool
Nov14Bracing
Dec12Bracing

UV index in La Rochelle in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in La Rochelle peaks around July 20 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highModerateLowJul 20UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun7High
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is La Rochelle?

La Rochelle sits at 46.2°N, 1.2°W, 13 m above sea level, in France. The nearest listed city is Rochefort, 28 km away.

Topography around La Rochelle

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around La Rochelle has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 31 m around an average of 11 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 305 m.

The land around La Rochelle is covered by artificial surfaces (56%) within 3 km, water (48%) and cropland (29%) within 16 km, and cropland (40%) and water (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
31 m
16 km
59 m
80 km
305 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Rochefort 28 km · Fontenay-le-Comte 43 km · Niort 56 km · La Roche-sur-Yon 60 km · Royan 60 km · Saintes 61 km · Les Sables-d'Olonne 61 km · Les Herbiers 79 km

France travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 77% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$48,986
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 539
Religion
Roman Catholic 47%none 33%Muslim 4%Protestant 2%

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 La Rochelle (46.1631°, -1.1522°, elevation 13 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).