Tsuruoka weather in December

In December, Tsuruoka sees average daytime highs of 6°C and overnight lows near 3°C, with 311 mm of precipitation across 26.3 wet days and about 9.3 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 8°C in the first days to 4°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 30 min at the start of December to 9 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Tsuruoka's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tsuruoka's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
311 mm
26.3 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
6:58 AM – 4:16 PM
Cloud cover
76%
11th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.56 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.3
out of 10

Tsuruoka is city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.

Density
96/km²
people per km²
Founded
1889

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 8°C in the first days to 4°C by the end.

A typical December day in Tsuruoka reaches about 6°C in the afternoon and slips back to 3°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 2°C and 10°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
195
284
384
484
584
684
774
873
973
1073
1173
1263
1363
1463
1562
1662
1762
1862
1962
2052
2152
2252
2352
2452
2552
2652
2751
2851
2941
3041
3141

How December really feels in Tsuruoka

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 27 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
27
wind chill below the day's low

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

Tsuruoka weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 28527.722.89.60.0
Feb / 19022.918.810.50.0
Mar / 16920.611.511.70.5
Apr12° / 13215.41.5132.7
May17° / 12°13413.7014.15.0
Jun21° / 17°14812.8014.75.8
Jul25° / 21°25917.2014.45.6
Aug26° / 22°20315.7013.55.7
Sep23° / 19°18015.5012.35.7
Oct18° / 13°20316.70114.8
Nov12° / 23820.92.69.92.3
Dec / 31126.3159.30.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 80%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12377
22377
32278
42179
52179
62179
72080
82080
92080
101981
111981
121981
131981
142080
152080
162080
172080
182080
192179
202179
212179
222080
232080
242080
251981
261981
271981
281981
292080
302080
312080

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Tsuruoka gets around 311 mm of rain and snow over 26.3 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 85% and peaks near 89% on the wettest days, and about 15 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
17725
27827
37929
48031
58133
68236
78338
88340
98442
108544
118545
128547
138648
148649
158650
168650
178651
188652
198652
208653
218654
228655
238655
248756
258757
268758
278859
288861
298962
308963
318964

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 20 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 21 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
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1620light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020breezy
2120breezy
2220breezy
2320breezy
2420breezy
2521breezy
2621breezy
2721breezy
2821breezy
2921breezy
3021breezy
3121breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 30 min at the start of December to 9 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 6:46 AM to 7:04 AM, and sunset from 4:15 PM to 4:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.56:464:15
29.56:474:15
39.56:484:15
49.46:494:15
59.46:494:15
69.46:504:15
79.46:514:15
89.46:524:15
99.46:534:15
109.46:544:15
119.36:544:15
129.36:554:15
139.36:564:15
149.36:564:15
159.36:574:16
169.36:584:16
179.36:584:16
189.36:594:17
199.37:004:17
209.37:004:17
219.37:014:18
229.37:014:18
239.37:024:19
249.37:024:19
259.37:024:20
269.37:034:20
279.37:034:21
289.37:034:22
299.37:044:22
309.37:044:23
319.37:044:24

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.56 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.56 kWh/m² to a high of 5.47 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 1.56 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.6Dim
31.6Dim
41.6Dim
51.6Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.5Dim
111.5Dim
121.5Dim
131.5Dim
141.5Dim
151.5Dim
161.5Dim
171.6Dim
181.6Dim
191.6Dim
201.6Dim
211.6Dim
221.6Dim
231.6Dim
241.6Dim
251.6Dim
261.6Dim
271.6Dim
281.7Dim
291.7Dim
301.7Dim
311.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Tsuruoka

In seasonPeak

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

Tsuruoka 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 Tsuruoka?

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

0.3
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 Tsuruoka.

What to pack for Tsuruoka in December

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

In December, Tsuruoka sees daytime highs around 6°C and nights near 3°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 26 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara heavy coat

Sea temperature near Tsuruoka in December

The nearest coast averages about 15°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 20 km away) is warmest in August at about 26°C and coldest in March near 9°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 24 to Oct 27 — about 4.1 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan12Bracing
Feb10Bracing
Mar9Bracing
Apr10Bracing
May14Bracing
Jun19Cool
Jul23Refreshing
Aug26Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct21Refreshing
Nov18Cool
Dec15Bracing

UV index in Tsuruoka in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Tsuruoka peaks around August 17 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowAug 17UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul7High
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Tsuruoka 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 Tsuruoka is worst in April — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (September, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 1420 µg/m³Sep 209 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May18Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul11Good
Aug10Good
Sep9Good
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Tsuruoka?

Tsuruoka sits at 38.7°N, 139.8°E, 13 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Shonai, 16 km away.

Topography around Tsuruoka

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tsuruoka has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 103 m around an average of 18 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 954 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,184 m.

The land around Tsuruoka is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) and cropland (36%) within 3 km, trees (45%) and cropland (32%) within 16 km, and trees (54%) and water (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
103 m
16 km
954 m
80 km
2,184 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Shonai 16 km · Sakata 22 km · Shinjō 42 km · Obanazawa 52 km · Yachi 54 km · Sagae 55 km · Murayama 59 km · Higashine 59 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 Tsuruoka (38.7217°, 139.8217°, 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. 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. 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).