Garmisch-Partenkirchen weather in December

In December, Garmisch-Partenkirchen sees average daytime highs of 1°C and overnight lows near -7°C, with 94 mm of precipitation across 13.5 wet days and about 8.3 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 2°C in the first days to 0°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 30 min at the start of December to 8 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Garmisch-Partenkirchen's 7th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Garmisch-Partenkirchen's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-7°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
94 mm
13.5 wet days
Daylight
8 h 18 min
8:04 AM – 4:20 PM
Cloud cover
63%
7th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10
Air quality
Excellent
PM10 4 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 0°C by the end.

A typical December day in Garmisch-Partenkirchen reaches about 1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -7°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -5°C and 6°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13-5
22-5
32-5
42-5
52-5
62-5
72-6
82-6
92-6
101-6
111-6
121-6
131-6
141-6
151-7
161-7
171-7
181-7
191-7
201-7
211-7
221-7
231-7
240-7
250-7
260-7
270-7
280-7
290-7
300-7
310-8

How December really feels in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

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
13 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Garmisch-Partenkirchen weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -8°8712.611.78.70.0
Feb / -7°8111.911.69.90.0
Mar / -3°11015.411.811.60.4
Apr10° / 11715.68.713.31.9
May15° / 18720.82.914.93.3
Jun18° / 20220.30.415.74.3
Jul20° / 10°20219.50.115.44.9
Aug19° / 10°20318.70.214.15.0
Sep15° / 14215.3112.44.1
Oct11° / 10913.14.310.62.7
Nov / -2°9912.48.99.10.5
Dec / -7°9413.511.88.30.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% 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 62%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23565
33664
43763
53763
63763
73763
83862
93862
103961
114060
124060
134060
144060
153961
164060
173961
183961
193961
203862
213961
223961
233961
243862
253961
263961
273961
284060
294060
304060
314060

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Garmisch-Partenkirchen gets around 94 mm of rain and snow over 13.5 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 44% and peaks near 45% on the wettest days, and about 12 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14135
24135
34235
44236
54337
64337
74337
84438
94438
104439
114439
124439
134439
144539
154539
164439
174439
184438
194438
204438
214438
224438
234439
244439
254539
264540
274540
284540
294540
304540
314540

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

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 30 min at the start of December to 8 h 18 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 7:50 AM to 8:10 AM, and sunset from 4:21 PM to 4:27 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.57:504:21
28.57:514:21
38.57:524:20
48.57:534:20
58.47:544:20
68.47:554:20
78.47:564:19
88.47:574:19
98.37:584:19
108.37:594:19
118.38:004:19
128.38:014:19
138.38:024:19
148.38:024:19
158.38:034:19
168.38:044:20
178.38:054:20
188.28:054:20
198.28:064:20
208.28:064:21
218.28:074:21
228.28:084:22
238.28:084:22
248.28:084:23
258.28:094:23
268.28:094:24
278.38:094:25
288.38:104:25
298.38:104:26
308.38:104:27
318.38:104:27

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.16 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.16 kWh/m² to a high of 5.2 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.16 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.3Dim
21.3Dim
31.3Dim
41.2Dim
51.2Dim
61.2Dim
71.2Dim
81.2Dim
91.2Dim
101.2Dim
111.2Dim
121.2Dim
131.2Dim
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
281.2Dim
291.2Dim
301.2Dim
311.2Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Garmisch-Partenkirchen?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

What to pack for Garmisch-Partenkirchen in December

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

In December, Garmisch-Partenkirchen sees daytime highs around 1°C and nights near -7°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Garmisch-Partenkirchen 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 Garmisch-Partenkirchen peaks around July 12 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 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 12UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Garmisch-Partenkirchen?

Garmisch-Partenkirchen sits at 47.5°N, 11.1°E, 705 m above sea level, in Germany. The nearest listed city is Telfs, 21 km away.

Topography around Garmisch-Partenkirchen

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Garmisch-Partenkirchen has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 898 m around an average of 855 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,307 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,249 m.

The land around Garmisch-Partenkirchen is covered by trees (64%) within 3 km, trees (72%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and trees (48%) and grassland (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
898 m
16 km
2,307 m
80 km
3,249 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Telfs 21 km · Fussen 31 km · Hötting 32 km · Innsbruck 34 km · Wilten 34 km · Pradl 35 km · Penzberg 36 km · Igls 37 km

Germany travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 80% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$60,496
2025
Happiness
6.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 615
Religion
none 44%Roman Catholic 25%Protestant 23%other 5%

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 Garmisch-Partenkirchen (47.4921°, 11.0958°, elevation 705 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).