Les Sables-d'Olonne weather in December

In December, Les Sables-d'Olonne sees average daytime highs of 10°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 100 mm of precipitation across 14.1 wet days and about 8.4 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Les Sables-d'Olonne's 11th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Les Sables-d'Olonne's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10°
10th warmest
Overnight low
3rd coldest
Precipitation
100 mm
14.1 wet days
Daylight
8 h 24 min
8:51 AM – 5:15 PM
Cloud cover
70%
11th clearest
Wind
23 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.07 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.2
out of 10

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 Les Sables-d'Olonne reaches about 10°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 14°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1118
2118
3118
4118
5118
6118
7118
8118
9117
10117
11117
12117
13107
14107
15107
16107
17107
18107
19107
20107
21107
22107
23107
24107
25107
26107
27107
28107
29107
30107
31107

Les Sables-d'Olonne 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
Jan10° / 9113.48.81.8
Feb10° / 6410.5102.0
Mar12° / 5710.711.62.9
Apr14° / 529.913.33.9
May17° / 12°549.914.85.3
Jun20° / 15°397.815.56.5
Jul21° / 17°336.615.27.3
Aug22° / 17°406.8147.3
Sep20° / 15°568.212.46.6
Oct17° / 13°9312.710.74.9
Nov13° / 10°10613.99.23.2
Dec10° / 10014.18.42.2

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 70%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13367
23367
33466
43466
53466
63466
73565
83466
93466
103466
113367
123268
133268
143268
153070
163070
172971
182971
192872
202773
212773
222773
232773
242773
252773
262773
272872
282872
292872
302872
312872

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Les Sables-d'Olonne gets around 100 mm of rain and snow 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 precipitation averages around 45% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
144
244
344
444
544
644
744
844
944
1044
1144
1244
1345
1445
1545
1645
1745
1845
1946
2046
2146
2246
2346
2446
2546
2646
2746
2846
2946
3046
3146

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 23 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 22 km/h on the calmest days to 23 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
422breezy
522breezy
622breezy
722breezy
822breezy
922breezy
1022breezy
1123breezy
1223breezy
1323breezy
1423breezy
1523breezy
1623breezy
1723breezy
1823breezy
1923breezy
2023breezy
2123breezy
2223breezy
2323breezy
2423breezy
2523breezy
2623breezy
2723breezy
2823breezy
2923breezy
3023breezy
3123breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:37 AM to 8:57 AM, and sunset from 5:17 PM to 5:23 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.78:375:17
28.68:385:16
38.68:405:16
48.68:415:16
58.68:425:15
68.58:435:15
78.58:445:15
88.58:455:15
98.58:465:15
108.58:475:15
118.58:475:15
128.48:485:15
138.48:495:15
148.48:505:15
158.48:515:15
168.48:515:15
178.48:525:16
188.48:535:16
198.48:535:16
208.48:545:17
218.48:545:17
228.48:555:17
238.48:555:18
248.48:565:18
258.48:565:19
268.48:565:20
278.48:575:20
288.48:575:21
298.48:575:22
308.48:575:22
318.48:575:23

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.07 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.07 kWh/m² to a high of 6.33 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.07 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
171.0Dim
181.0Dim
191.0Dim
201.0Dim
211.0Dim
221.0Dim
231.0Dim
241.0Dim
251.0Dim
261.0Dim
271.0Dim
281.0Dim
291.1Dim
301.1Dim
311.1Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Les Sables-d'Olonne?

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

2.2
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Les Sables-d'Olonne.

What to pack for Les Sables-d'Olonne in December

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

In December, Les Sables-d'Olonne sees daytime highs around 10°C and nights near 7°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Les Sables-d'Olonne 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 15 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
Jan11Bracing
Feb10Bracing
Mar10Bracing
Apr12Bracing
May15Bracing
Jun17Cool
Jul19Cool
Aug20Cool
Sep19Cool
Oct17Cool
Nov15Bracing
Dec12Bracing

UV index in Les Sables-d'Olonne 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 Les Sables-d'Olonne peaks around July 20 at about 7 (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 highHighModerateLowJul 20UV 7Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Les Sables-d'Olonne?

Les Sables-d'Olonne sits at 46.5°N, 1.8°W, 7 m above sea level, in France. The nearest listed city is La Roche-sur-Yon, 33 km away.

Topography around Les Sables-d'Olonne

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Les Sables-d'Olonne.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Les Sables-d'Olonne has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 31 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 94 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 339 m.

The land around Les Sables-d'Olonne is covered by artificial surfaces (40%) and water (39%) within 3 km, water (57%) within 16 km, and water (43%), cropland (25%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
31 m
16 km
94 m
80 km
339 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: La Roche-sur-Yon 33 km · Challans 39 km · La Rochelle 61 km · Les Herbiers 72 km · Fontenay-le-Comte 75 km · Bouguenais 77 km · Vertou 78 km · Rezé 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 Les Sables-d'Olonne (46.4969°, -1.7847°, elevation 7 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).