Kangsŏn weather in December

In December, Kangsŏn sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -5°C, with 24 mm of precipitation across 5.5 wet days and about 9.3 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-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 46% 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 Kangsŏn's 5th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kangsŏn's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-5°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
24 mm
5.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
7:55 AM – 5:12 PM
Cloud cover
46%
5th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.2 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

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 Kangsŏn reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -5°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -4°C and 7°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
15-3
25-3
34-3
44-3
54-4
64-4
73-4
83-4
93-4
103-5
113-5
122-5
132-5
142-5
152-5
162-6
172-6
182-6
192-6
201-6
211-6
221-6
231-6
241-6
251-6
261-6
271-7
281-7
290-7
300-7
310-7

How December really feels in Kangsŏn

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
20 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Kangsŏn weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-0° / -8°1232.59.60.0
Feb / -5°183.5210.50.0
Mar / -0°254.51.111.72.1
Apr16° / 526.60.1135.7
May22° / 12°957.7014.17.2
Jun26° / 18°1069.2014.76.7
Jul28° / 22°26015.6014.45.1
Aug29° / 22°21613.4013.55.3
Sep25° / 17°946.6012.37.4
Oct19° / 456.20116.7
Nov10° / 457.30.89.92.5
Dec / -5°245.52.89.30.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% 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 38%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25743
35743
45743
55842
65743
75842
85842
95941
105941
116040
126139
136238
146337
156436
166436
176436
186535
196634
206634
216634
226535
236535
246535
256535
266535
276436
286436
296436
306436
316436

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Kangsŏn gets around 24 mm of rain and snow over 5.5 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 18% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1237
2237
3237
4238
5238
6238
7239
8229
9229
10229
11219
122110
132010
14209
15199
16189
17179
18179
19169
20159
21159
22159
23149
241410
251410
261410
271410
281410
291410
301410
311410

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 13 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

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 7:43 AM to 8:02 AM, and sunset from 5:12 PM to 5:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.57:435:12
29.57:445:11
39.47:455:11
49.47:465:11
59.47:475:11
69.47:485:11
79.47:495:11
89.47:505:11
99.37:505:11
109.37:515:11
119.37:525:11
129.37:535:11
139.37:535:12
149.37:545:12
159.37:555:12
169.37:555:12
179.37:565:13
189.37:575:13
199.37:575:13
209.37:585:14
219.37:585:14
229.37:595:15
239.37:595:15
249.38:005:16
259.38:005:16
269.38:005:17
279.38:015:17
289.38:015:18
299.38:015:19
309.38:015:19
319.38:025:20

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.2 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.2 kWh/m² to a high of 5.91 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.2 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.2Moderate
22.2Moderate
32.2Moderate
42.2Moderate
52.2Moderate
62.2Moderate
72.2Moderate
82.2Moderate
92.2Moderate
102.2Moderate
112.2Moderate
122.2Moderate
132.2Moderate
142.2Moderate
152.2Moderate
162.2Moderate
172.2Moderate
182.2Moderate
192.2Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.3Moderate
292.3Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.3Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kangsŏn

In seasonPeak

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

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

Kangsŏn's rainy season runs July–August, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Kangsŏn?

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

0.0
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 Kangsŏn.

What to pack for Kangsŏn in December

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

In December, Kangsŏn sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -5°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Kangsŏn in December

The nearest coast averages about 8°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 40 km away) is warmest in August at about 23°C and coldest in February near 1°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 13 to Oct 8 — about 2.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan3Bracing
Feb1Bracing
Mar3Bracing
Apr7Bracing
May11Bracing
Jun16Cool
Jul21Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep22Refreshing
Oct19Cool
Nov14Bracing
Dec8Bracing

UV index in Kangsŏn 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 Kangsŏn peaks around August 16 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 20 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 highModerateLowAug 16UV 8Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun6High
Jul7Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Kangsŏn 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 Kangsŏn is worst in March — around 120 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.7× the cleanest month (August, 68 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyMar 15118 µg/m³Aug 1169 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan115Unhealthy
Feb108Unhealthy
Mar120Unhealthy
Apr104Unhealthy
May90Unhealthy
Jun83Unhealthy
Jul72Unhealthy
Aug68Unhealthy
Sep87Unhealthy
Oct98Unhealthy
Nov106Unhealthy
Dec99Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Kangsŏn?

Kangsŏn sits at 38.9°N, 125.6°E, 22 m above sea level, in North Korea. The nearest listed city is Man’gyŏngdae-ri, 9.0 km away.

Hwangju-ŭp

Topography around Kangsŏn

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kangsŏn has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 275 m around an average of 35 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 357 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,214 m.

The land around Kangsŏn is covered by cropland (31%), trees (25%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 3 km, cropland (63%) within 16 km, and cropland (41%), trees (27%) and water (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
275 m
16 km
357 m
80 km
1,214 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Man’gyŏngdae-ri 9.0 km · Pyongyang 18 km · Songnim-ni 20 km · Chunghwa 21 km · Hŭkkyo-ri 24 km · Namp’o 27 km · Sunan 31 km · Hwangju-ŭp 34 km

North Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Safe drinking water
67%
of population, 2023
Road deaths
24.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank

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 Kangsŏn (38.9364°, 125.5811°, elevation 22 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).