Reykjanesbær weather in December

In December, Reykjanesbær sees average daytime highs of 4°C and overnight lows near 1°C, with 129 mm of precipitation across 18.6 wet days and about 3.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 4°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 4 h 36 min at the start of December to 3 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Reykjanesbær's 11th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Reykjanesbær's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
129 mm
18.6 wet days
Daylight
3 h 42 min
11:35 AM – 3:18 PM
Cloud cover
77%
11th clearest
Wind
26 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
0.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 4°C through the month.

A typical December day in Reykjanesbær reaches about 4°C in the afternoon and slips back to 1°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -0°C and 8°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
141
241
341
441
541
641
741
841
941
1041
1141
1241
1341
1441
1541
1641
1741
1841
1941
2041
2140
2240
2330
2430
2530
2630
2730
2830
2930
3030
3130

How December really feels in Reykjanesbær

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Reykjanesbær weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 9th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 12518.89.750.0
Feb / -0°12317.410.480.0
Mar / 11317.69.311.20.0
Apr / 9115.43.414.60.3
May / 7913.90.517.81.2
Jun11° / 6712.8020.12.3
Jul12° / 10°7412.8019.13.0
Aug12° / 10°9714.20162.8
Sep10° / 13417.2012.71.8
Oct / 12015.41.69.30.8
Nov / 12417.24.96.10.0
Dec / 12918.69.13.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% 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 77%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12575
22476
32377
42278
52179
62179
72179
82179
92179
102179
112179
122278
132278
142278
152278
162278
172377
182377
192377
202377
212476
222476
232476
242476
252476
262377
272377
282377
292377
302278
312278

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Reykjanesbær gets around 129 mm of rain and snow over 18.6 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 60% and peaks near 62% on the wettest days, and about 9 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
16027
26127
36228
46228
56228
66228
76228
86228
96127
106127
116127
126027
136027
146027
156028
165928
175928
185929
195829
205830
215830
225831
235831
245832
255832
265832
275832
285832
295831
305731
315731

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 26 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 25 km/h on the calmest days to 27 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
125breezy
225breezy
326breezy
426breezy
526breezy
626breezy
726breezy
826breezy
926breezy
1026breezy
1126breezy
1226breezy
1326breezy
1426breezy
1526breezy
1626breezy
1726breezy
1826breezy
1927breezy
2027breezy
2127breezy
2227breezy
2327breezy
2427breezy
2527breezy
2627breezy
2727breezy
2827breezy
2926breezy
3026breezy
3126breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 4 h 36 min at the start of December to 3 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 11:02 AM to 11:39 AM, and sunset from 3:38 PM to 3:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
14.611:023:38
24.511:053:36
34.411:083:34
44.411:103:32
54.311:133:30
64.211:163:28
74.211:183:27
84.111:203:25
94.011:223:24
104.011:243:23
113.911:263:22
123.911:283:21
133.811:303:20
143.811:323:19
153.811:333:19
163.711:353:18
173.711:363:18
183.711:373:18
193.711:383:18
203.611:393:18
213.611:403:18
223.611:403:18
233.611:413:19
243.611:413:20
253.711:413:20
263.711:413:21
273.711:413:22
283.711:403:24
293.811:403:25
303.811:393:27
313.811:393:28

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.05 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.05 kWh/m² to a high of 5.38 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.05 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
180.0Dim
190.0Dim
200.0Dim
210.0Dim
220.0Dim
230.0Dim
240.0Dim
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 Reykjanesbær?

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
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Reykjanesbær.

What to pack for Reykjanesbær in December

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

In December, Reykjanesbær sees daytime highs around 4°C and nights near 1°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a heavy coat and a windbreaker. About 19 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara heavy coata windbreaker

Sea temperature near Reykjanesbær in December

The nearest coast averages about 7°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 14 km away) is warmest in August at about 11°C and coldest in March near 6°C.

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

4°6°8°10°12°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb6Bracing
Mar6Bracing
Apr6Bracing
May8Bracing
Jun10Bracing
Jul11Bracing
Aug11Bracing
Sep10Bracing
Oct9Bracing
Nov7Bracing
Dec7Bracing

UV index in Reykjanesbær 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 Reykjanesbær peaks around June 21 at about 4 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 0 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJun 21UV 4Dec 19UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb0Low
Mar1Low
Apr2Moderate
May3Moderate
Jun5Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep2Low
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Reykjanesbær?

Reykjanesbær sits at 64.0°N, 22.6°W, 13 m above sea level, in Iceland. The nearest listed city is Keflavik, 1.0 km away.

HafnarfjörðurKópavogurReykjavikVikAkureyri

Topography around Reykjanesbær

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Reykjanesbær has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 60 m around an average of 18 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 213 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,065 m.

The land around Reykjanesbær is covered by grassland (45%) and water (35%) within 3 km, water (54%) and grassland (38%) within 16 km, and water (67%) and grassland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
60 m
16 km
213 m
80 km
1,065 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Keflavik 1.0 km · Hafnarfjörður 31 km · Kópavogur 34 km · Reykjavik 36 km · Vik 186 km · Akureyri 282 km · Tórshavn 825 km · Isle of Lewis 1,076 km

Iceland travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 118% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$98,323
2025
Happiness
7.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland 59%other or unspecified 19%none 8%Independent Congregation of Reykjavik 3%

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 Reykjanesbær (63.9981°, -22.5611°, 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).