P’yŏngsŏng weather in December

In December, P’yŏngsŏng sees average daytime highs of 1°C and overnight lows near -7°C, with 25 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 54% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 24 min at the start of December to 9 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is P’yŏngsŏng's 2nd-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see P’yŏngsŏng's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-7°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
25 mm
5.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
7:55 AM – 5:10 PM
Cloud cover
40%
2nd clearest
Wind
10 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.2 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

P’yŏngsŏng is city in North Korea.

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 P’yŏngsŏng reaches about 1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -7°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -5°C and 7°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
14-4
24-4
34-4
43-4
53-5
63-5
73-5
82-5
92-6
102-6
112-6
122-6
132-6
141-7
151-7
161-7
171-7
181-7
191-7
201-7
211-7
221-8
230-8
240-8
250-8
260-8
270-8
280-8
290-8
300-9
310-9

How December really feels in P’yŏngsŏng

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
23 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

P’yŏngsŏng 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-1° / -10°1332.89.60.0
Feb / -6°213.72.410.50.0
Mar / -1°2951.411.72.2
Apr17° / 576.70.2135.8
May23° / 12°1018.2014.17.1
Jun27° / 17°11710.3014.76.5
Jul28° / 21°29416.4014.54.9
Aug29° / 21°24414013.55.1
Sep25° / 16°1006.9012.37.3
Oct19° / 506.20116.6
Nov / 517.40.89.82.2
Dec / -7°255.53.39.30.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% 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 33%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16139
26139
36139
46238
56238
66337
76436
86535
96535
106634
116733
126733
136832
146832
156931
166931
177030
187129
197129
207129
217129
227030
237030
247030
257030
266931
277030
287030
297030
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

P’yŏngsŏng gets around 25 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
2238
3239
4239
52310
62210
72211
82211
92211
102212
112112
122112
132112
142012
151912
161812
171811
181711
191611
201611
211510
221510
231510
241410
251410
261410
271410
281410
291410
301311
311311

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 10 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 24 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 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:43 AM to 8:01 AM, and sunset from 5:09 PM to 5:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.47:435:09
29.47:445:09
39.47:455:09
49.47:465:09
59.47:475:09
69.47:485:09
79.37:485:09
89.37:495:09
99.37:505:09
109.37:515:09
119.37:525:09
129.37:525:09
139.37:535:09
149.37:545:10
159.37:545:10
169.37:555:10
179.27:565:11
189.27:565:11
199.27:575:11
209.27:575:12
219.27:585:12
229.27:585:13
239.27:595:13
249.27:595:14
259.28:005:14
269.28:005:15
279.28:005:15
289.38:015:16
299.38:015:16
309.38:015:17
319.38:015:18

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 5.77 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 P’yŏngsŏng

In seasonPeak

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

P’yŏngsŏng sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

P’yŏngsŏng'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 P’yŏngsŏng?

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 P’yŏngsŏng.

What to pack for P’yŏngsŏng in December

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

In December, P’yŏngsŏng sees daytime highs around 1°C and nights near -7°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near P’yŏngsŏng 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 at the nearest coast (about 45 km away) is warmest in August at about 25°C and coldest in February near -0°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 3 to Oct 2 — about 3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan2Bracing
Feb0Bracing
Mar2Bracing
Apr7Bracing
May13Bracing
Jun18Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug25Warm
Sep23Refreshing
Oct18Cool
Nov12Bracing
Dec6Bracing

UV index in P’yŏngsŏng 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 P’yŏngsŏng peaks around August 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. 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 highModerateLowAug 18UV 8Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun6High
Jul7High
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in P’yŏngsŏng 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 P’yŏngsŏng is worst in January — around 201 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 2.0× the cleanest month (July, 102 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150180210JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery unhealthyUnhealthyVery unhealthyJan 15198 µg/m³Jul 21103 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan201Very unhealthy
Feb171Very unhealthy
Mar180Very unhealthy
Apr150Unhealthy
May132Unhealthy
Jun124Unhealthy
Jul102Unhealthy
Aug107Unhealthy
Sep152Very unhealthy
Oct182Very unhealthy
Nov195Very unhealthy
Dec181Very unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is P’yŏngsŏng?

P’yŏngsŏng sits at 39.2°N, 125.9°E, 53 m above sea level, in North Korea. The nearest listed city is Sunan, 16 km away.

Paek'akMan’gyŏngdae-riCh’ŏsal-li

Topography around P’yŏngsŏng

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around P’yŏngsŏng has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 232 m around an average of 99 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 538 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,474 m.

The land around P’yŏngsŏng is covered by trees (43%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and cropland (41%) within 16 km, and trees (41%) and cropland (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
232 m
16 km
538 m
80 km
1,474 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Sunan 16 km · Sunch’ŏn 21 km · Kangdong-ŭp 23 km · Pyongyang 26 km · Sŭngho 1-tong 30 km · Paek'ak 33 km · Man’gyŏngdae-ri 34 km · Ch’ŏsal-li 36 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 P’yŏngsŏng (39.2464°, 125.8719°, elevation 53 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).