Orange weather in December

In December, Orange sees average daytime highs of 11°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 59 mm of precipitation across 8.1 wet days and about 8.7 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 11°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 54 min at the start of December to 8 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Orange's 11th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Orange's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11°
11th warmest
Overnight low
3rd coldest
Precipitation
59 mm
8.1 wet days
Daylight
8 h 42 min
8:16 AM – 4:58 PM
Cloud cover
54%
11th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
1.44 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.7
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 11°C through the month.

A typical December day in Orange reaches about 11°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 15°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1125
2124
3114
4114
5114
6114
7114
8114
9114
10114
11114
12114
13114
14114
15114
16104
17103
18103
19103
20103
21103
22103
23103
24103
25103
26103
27103
28103
29103
30103
31103

How December really feels in Orange

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 7 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
7
wind chill below the day's low

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

Orange weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan10° / 617.90.89.12.4
Feb12° / 445.80.510.23.3
Mar16° / 476.70.111.65.4
Apr19° / 718.6013.26.4
May23° / 12°668.6014.57.1
Jun28° / 16°425.4015.27.0
Jul31° / 19°314.20155.6
Aug30° / 18°464.7013.85.8
Sep25° / 15°956.8012.37.5
Oct20° / 11°1038.7010.86.5
Nov14° / 10810.20.19.44.1
Dec11° / 598.10.38.72.7

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 47%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25446
35545
45545
55545
65743
75743
85743
95743
105743
115644
125644
135644
145545
155545
165446
175347
185347
195248
205248
215050
224951
235050
245050
255050
264951
274951
285050
295050
305050
315149

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Orange gets around 59 mm of rain and snow over 8.1 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 26% and peaks near 28% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1281
2281
3271
4271
5271
6261
7261
8261
9261
10261
11261
12261
13261
14261
15261
16261
17261
18261
19261
20261
21261
22261
23261
24261
25261
26262
27262
28262
29262
30263
31263

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 13 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
213light breeze
313light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 54 min at the start of December to 8 h 42 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 8:02 AM to 8:22 AM, and sunset from 4:59 PM to 5:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.98:024:59
28.98:044:58
38.98:054:58
48.98:064:58
58.88:074:58
68.88:084:57
78.88:094:57
88.88:094:57
98.88:104:57
108.88:114:57
118.88:124:57
128.78:134:57
138.78:144:57
148.78:144:58
158.78:154:58
168.78:164:58
178.78:164:58
188.78:174:59
198.78:184:59
208.78:184:59
218.78:195:00
228.78:195:00
238.78:205:01
248.78:205:01
258.78:215:02
268.78:215:02
278.78:215:03
288.78:215:04
298.78:225:04
308.78:225:05
318.78:225:06

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.44 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.44 kWh/m² to a high of 7.02 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.44 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.6Dim
31.6Dim
41.5Dim
51.5Dim
61.5Dim
71.5Dim
81.5Dim
91.5Dim
101.5Dim
111.5Dim
121.5Dim
131.4Dim
141.4Dim
151.4Dim
161.4Dim
171.4Dim
181.4Dim
191.4Dim
201.4Dim
211.4Dim
221.4Dim
231.4Dim
241.4Dim
251.4Dim
261.4Dim
271.4Dim
281.4Dim
291.4Dim
301.4Dim
311.4Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Orange?

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

2.7
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Orange.

What to pack for Orange in December

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

In December, Orange sees daytime highs around 11°C and nights near 4°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Orange 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 Orange peaks around July 16 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. 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 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 16UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun7Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Orange 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 Orange is worst in March — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodGoodModerateMar 2016 µg/m³Jul 2311 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul11Good
Aug11Good
Sep12Good
Oct12Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Orange?

Orange sits at 44.1°N, 4.8°E, 48 m above sea level, in France. The nearest listed city is Sorgues, 15 km away.

Topography around Orange

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Orange has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 74 m around an average of 46 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 417 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,883 m.

The land around Orange is covered by trees (35%), cropland (27%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 3 km, trees (40%) and cropland (27%) within 16 km, and trees (64%) within 80 km.

3 km
74 m
16 km
417 m
80 km
1,883 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Sorgues 15 km · Bagnols-sur-Cèze 15 km · Le Pontet 20 km · Avignon 21 km · Carpentras 21 km · L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue 31 km · Cavaillon 39 km · Montélimar 47 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 Orange (44.1381°, 4.8102°, elevation 48 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. 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).