Kushiro weather in December

In December, Kushiro sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 71 mm of precipitation across 8.2 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 4°C in the first days to 0°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kushiro's 1st-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kushiro's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
4th coldest
Precipitation
71 mm
8.2 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
6:53 AM – 3:44 PM
Cloud cover
43%
1st clearest
Wind
18 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.83 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Kushiro is city in Hokkaidō, Japan.

Density
123/km²
people per km²
Founded
2005

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 4°C in the first days to 0°C by the end.

A typical December day in Kushiro reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -2°C and 6°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
14-1
24-1
34-1
44-1
54-1
63-2
73-2
83-2
93-2
103-2
112-3
122-3
132-3
142-3
152-3
162-3
172-4
181-4
191-4
201-4
211-4
221-4
231-4
241-5
251-5
260-5
270-5
280-5
290-5
300-5
310-5

How December really feels in Kushiro

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
11 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Kushiro weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -7°506.269.20.0
Feb-1° / -8°376.26.110.20.0
Mar / -4°688.16.311.60.0
Apr / 859.42.813.10.9
May11° / 10510.50.114.42.6
Jun14° / 10°869.3015.13.9
Jul18° / 14°12610.7014.85.3
Aug20° / 17°14712.1013.85.7
Sep19° / 14°16011.5012.35.6
Oct14° / 1189.50.110.84.3
Nov / 758.61.49.51.5
Dec / -3°718.25.48.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in December, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26832
36832
46931
56931
66931
76931
86931
97030
107030
117030
127030
137030
147129
157129
167129
177129
187129
197228
207228
217228
227129
237129
247129
257129
267129
277030
287030
297030
307030
316931

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Kushiro gets around 71 mm of rain and snow over 8.2 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 29% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12911
22912
32913
42813
52814
62814
72815
82815
92816
102816
112817
122817
132717
142718
152618
162618
172618
182519
192519
202519
212519
222519
232419
242419
252419
262419
272319
282319
292319
302218
312218

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 18 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 18 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
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 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 6:40 AM to 7:00 AM, and sunset from 3:44 PM to 3:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.16:403:44
29.06:413:44
39.06:423:44
49.06:433:43
59.06:443:43
69.06:453:43
78.96:463:43
88.96:473:43
98.96:483:43
108.96:493:43
118.96:503:43
128.96:503:43
138.96:513:43
148.96:523:44
158.96:533:44
168.86:533:44
178.86:543:44
188.86:553:45
198.86:553:45
208.86:563:45
218.86:563:46
228.86:573:46
238.86:573:47
248.86:583:47
258.86:583:48
268.86:583:48
278.86:593:49
288.86:593:50
298.96:593:50
308.96:593:51
318.97:003:52

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.83 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.83 kWh/m² to a high of 5.12 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 1.83 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.9Dim
31.9Dim
41.9Dim
51.9Dim
61.9Dim
71.9Dim
81.8Dim
91.8Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.8Dim
131.8Dim
141.8Dim
151.8Dim
161.8Dim
171.8Dim
181.8Dim
191.9Dim
201.9Dim
211.9Dim
221.9Dim
231.9Dim
241.9Dim
251.9Dim
261.9Dim
271.9Dim
281.9Dim
292.0Dim
302.0Dim
312.0Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kushiro

In seasonPeak

In December, Kushiro sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Kushiro sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Pacific typhoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Kushiro?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kushiro.

What to pack for Kushiro in December

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

In December, Kushiro sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Kushiro in December

The nearest coast averages about 6°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 17°C and coldest in February near 1°C.

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

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan3Bracing
Feb1Bracing
Mar1Bracing
Apr3Bracing
May6Bracing
Jun10Bracing
Jul14Bracing
Aug17Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct14Bracing
Nov10Bracing
Dec6Bracing

UV index in Kushiro 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 Kushiro peaks around August 18 at about 8 (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 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowAug 18UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun7High
Jul5High
Aug9Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Kushiro?

Kushiro sits at 43.0°N, 144.4°E, 6 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Nakashibetsu, 80 km away.

Topography around Kushiro

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kushiro has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 65 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 151 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,450 m.

The land around Kushiro is covered by water (57%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, water (50%) and trees (24%) within 16 km, and trees (49%) and water (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
65 m
16 km
151 m
80 km
1,450 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Nakashibetsu 80 km · Sarubetsu 85 km · Obihiro 95 km · Otofuke 96 km · Motomachi 97 km · Shibetsu 98 km · Kitami 100 km · Nemuro 105 km

Japan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$35,951
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Shintoism 49%Buddhism 46%other 4%Christianity 1%

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 Kushiro (42.975°, 144.3747°, elevation 6 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).