San Rafael del Sur weather in December

In December, San Rafael del Sur sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 6 mm of rain across 1.1 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 69% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of December to 11 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is San Rafael del Sur's 4th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Rafael del Sur's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
6th warmest
Overnight low
24°
5th coldest
Rainfall
6 mm
1.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:03 AM – 5:21 PM
Cloud cover
32%
4th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

San Rafael del Sur is Town in Nicaragua, seat of the second admin division Municipio de San Rafael del Sur.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month.

A typical December day in San Rafael del Sur reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and on par with January.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13224
23224
33224
43224
53224
63224
73224
83224
93224
103224
113224
123224
133224
143224
153224
163224
173224
183224
193224
203224
213224
223224
233224
243224
253224
263224
273224
283224
293224
303224
313224

How December really feels in San Rafael del Sur

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

San Rafael del Sur weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 6th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 24°10.311.45.1
Feb33° / 24°10.311.64.8
Mar34° / 25°20.711.94.2
Apr34° / 26°204.212.33.4
May33° / 26°19017.912.52.9
Jun31° / 25°2002012.73.1
Jul32° / 25°9311.912.63.7
Aug32° / 25°1441712.43.3
Sep31° / 25°25624.212.12.9
Oct30° / 24°31124.611.73.2
Nov31° / 24°769.111.54.5
Dec32° / 24°61.111.35.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 69% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27426
37525
47624
57624
67723
77822
87921
97822
107921
118020
128020
138119
148119
158218
168317
178317
188416
198515
208614
218614
228713
238812
248812
258911
268911
278911
289010
299010
309010
319010

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

San Rafael del Sur gets around 6 mm of rain over 1.1 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 4% and peaks near 9% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
19
28
37
47
56
66
75
85
95
104
114
124
134
144
153
163
173
183
193
203
212
222
232
242
252
262
272
282
292
302
312

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the muggy band about 68% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 85% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1085537
2085834
3086032
4096229
5096427
60106525
70106723
80116722
90116821
100126820
110126919
120136918
131136917
141146817
151146916
161156816
171156915
181166815
191166914
201166914
211167013
221176913
232176912
242176912
252177011
262177110
272177110
28217729
29217729
30317728
31317728

Wind in December

Winds average 17 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1117light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2619light breeze
2719light breeze
2819light breeze
2919light breeze
3020light breeze
3120light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of December to 11 h 18 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 5:55 AM to 6:10 AM, and sunset from 5:16 PM to 5:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.45:555:16
211.35:555:16
311.35:565:17
411.35:565:17
511.35:575:17
611.35:575:17
711.35:585:18
811.35:595:18
911.35:595:18
1011.36:005:19
1111.36:005:19
1211.36:015:20
1311.36:015:20
1411.36:025:20
1511.36:025:21
1611.36:035:21
1711.36:035:22
1811.36:045:22
1911.36:045:22
2011.36:055:23
2111.36:055:23
2211.36:065:24
2311.36:065:24
2411.36:075:25
2511.36:075:25
2611.36:075:26
2711.36:085:26
2811.36:085:27
2911.36:095:27
3011.36:095:28
3111.36:105:28

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.31 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.86 kWh/m² to a high of 6.96 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 5.31 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.2Bright
85.2Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.3Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for San Rafael del Sur

In seasonPeak

None of San Rafael del Sur's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

San Rafael del Sur sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

San Rafael del Sur's monsoon runs August–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit San Rafael del Sur?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
8.1
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit San Rafael del Sur for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for San Rafael del Sur in December

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

In December, San Rafael del Sur sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near San Rafael del Sur in December

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 21 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in San Rafael del Sur in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in San Rafael del Sur peaks around March 22 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 22UV 14Dec 14UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in San Rafael del Sur 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 San Rafael del Sur is worst in July — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.5× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1625 µg/m³Jan 187 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr21Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is San Rafael del Sur?

San Rafael del Sur sits at 11.8°N, 86.4°W, 126 m above sea level, in Nicaragua. The nearest listed city is El Crucero, 21 km away.

MasatepeCiudad SandinoManaguaMasaya

Topography around San Rafael del Sur

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of San Rafael del Sur.

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Rafael del Sur has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 152 m around an average of 119 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 693 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,305 m.

The land around San Rafael del Sur is covered by trees (48%) and grassland (40%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and grassland (29%) within 16 km, and water (46%) and trees (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
152 m
16 km
693 m
80 km
1,305 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: El Crucero 21 km · Diriamba 22 km · Jinotepe 26 km · San Marcos 26 km · Masatepe 33 km · Ciudad Sandino 36 km · Managua 38 km · Masaya 40 km

Nicaragua travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,173
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.3
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
16.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 512
Religion
Roman Catholic 45%Protestant 39%none 14%other 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 San Rafael del Sur (11.8485°, -86.4384°, elevation 126 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).