Baalbek weather in December

In December, Baalbek sees average daytime highs of 8°C and overnight lows near 0°C, with 51 mm of precipitation across 8.8 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 10°C in the first days to 7°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 54 min at the start of December to 9 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Baalbek's 11th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Baalbek's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
3rd coldest
Precipitation
51 mm
8.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
6:39 AM – 4:24 PM
Cloud cover
50%
11th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
2.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.6
out of 10

Baalbek is city in Baalbek-Hermel, Lebanon.

Density
826/km²
people per km²

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 10°C in the first days to 7°C by the end.

A typical December day in Baalbek reaches about 8°C in the afternoon and slips back to 0°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 3°C and 14°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-10°10°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1112
2112
3102
4102
5102
6101
7101
891
991
1091
1191
1291
1391
1480
1580
1680
1780
1880
1980
2080
2180
2280
2370
2470
2570
267-1
277-1
287-1
297-1
307-1
317-1

How December really feels in Baalbek

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 26 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
26
wind chill below the day's low

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

Baalbek weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -2°6811.58100.3
Feb / -1°6210.27.110.70.8
Mar11° / 529.4411.72.7
Apr16° / 317.70.612.85.4
May21° / 10°246.1013.77.7
Jun26° / 14°41.1014.29.1
Jul29° / 17°20.40147.8
Aug29° / 17°20.7013.37.6
Sep26° / 14°51.7012.29.0
Oct21° / 10°205.4011.17.7
Nov14° / 356.50.610.24.5
Dec / 518.83.89.81.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25743
35743
45545
55545
65446
75446
85446
95347
105347
115347
125347
135347
145347
155545
165545
175545
185644
195644
205644
215743
225842
235842
245842
255842
265743
275743
285644
295545
305545
315446

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Baalbek gets around 51 mm of rain and snow over 8.8 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 29% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1256
2266
3267
4277
5278
6288
7299
8299
93010
103010
113011
123011
133012
143012
153013
162913
172914
182814
192814
202815
212715
222715
232715
242816
252816
262816
272917
283017
293118
303218
313319

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 5 km/h in December.

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
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
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 9 h 54 min at the start of December to 9 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:28 AM to 6:45 AM, and sunset from 4:22 PM to 4:31 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.96:284:22
29.96:294:22
39.96:304:22
49.96:304:22
59.86:314:22
69.86:324:22
79.86:334:22
89.86:334:22
99.86:344:22
109.86:354:22
119.86:364:22
129.86:364:23
139.86:374:23
149.86:384:23
159.86:384:23
169.76:394:24
179.76:394:24
189.76:404:24
199.76:414:25
209.76:414:25
219.76:424:26
229.76:424:26
239.76:434:27
249.76:434:27
259.76:434:28
269.76:444:28
279.76:444:29
289.76:454:29
299.86:454:30
309.86:454:31
319.86:454:31

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.78 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.78 kWh/m² to a high of 8.2 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.78 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.0Moderate
22.9Moderate
32.9Moderate
42.9Moderate
52.9Moderate
62.8Moderate
72.8Moderate
82.8Moderate
92.8Moderate
102.8Moderate
112.8Moderate
122.8Moderate
132.8Moderate
142.8Moderate
152.8Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.7Moderate
182.8Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.8Moderate
282.8Moderate
292.8Moderate
302.8Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Baalbek?

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

1.6
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Baalbek.

What to pack for Baalbek in December

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

In December, Baalbek sees daytime highs around 8°C and nights near 0°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Baalbek in December

The nearest coast averages about 21°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 56 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in February near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 3 to Dec 23 — about 7.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr19Cool
May21Refreshing
Jun25Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug28Tropical
Sep28Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov23Refreshing
Dec21Refreshing

UV index in Baalbek in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Baalbek peaks around June 21 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 21UV 12Jan 12UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct7High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Baalbek 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 Baalbek is worst in November — around 58 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.9× the cleanest month (July, 31 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyNov 2258 µg/m³Jul 2231 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan52Poor
Feb57Unhealthy
Mar52Poor
Apr54Poor
May44Poor
Jun35Poor
Jul31Moderate
Aug31Moderate
Sep41Poor
Oct51Poor
Nov58Unhealthy
Dec57Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Baalbek?

Baalbek sits at 34.0°N, 36.2°E, 1,183 m above sea level, in Lebanon. The nearest listed city is Chmistâr, 19 km away.

ChmistârAarsâlAz ZabadānīBsharriZahleYabrūdAt TallEl Hermel

Topography around Baalbek

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Baalbek has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 483 m around an average of 1,235 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,505 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,068 m.

The land around Baalbek is covered by grassland (55%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 3 km, grassland (59%) and cropland (25%) within 16 km, and grassland (36%) and bare terrain (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
483 m
16 km
1,505 m
80 km
3,068 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Chmistâr 19 km · Aarsâl 27 km · Az Zabadānī 33 km · Bsharri 33 km · Zahle 34 km · Yabrūd 41 km · At Tall 45 km · El Hermel 46 km

Lebanon travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / D / G
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2024
GDP per capita
$4,473
2024
Happiness
3.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
48%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.2
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
16.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 477
Religion
Muslim 68%Christian 32%Druze 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 Baalbek (34.0058°, 36.2181°, elevation 1,183 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. 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).