Puryŏng-ŭp weather in December

In December, Puryŏng-ŭp sees average daytime highs of -2°C and overnight lows near -10°C, with 28 mm of precipitation across 6.4 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about -0°C in the first days to -4°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 12 min at the start of December to 9 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Puryŏng-ŭp's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Puryŏng-ŭp's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-2°
10th warmest
Overnight low
-10°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
28 mm
6.4 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:49 AM – 4:46 PM
Cloud cover
38%
2nd clearest
Wind
11 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.96 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 -0°C in the first days to -4°C by the end.

A typical December day in Puryŏng-ŭp reaches about -2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -10°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -8°C and 2°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
10-7
20-7
30-7
40-8
50-8
6-1-8
7-1-8
8-1-8
9-1-9
10-2-9
11-2-9
12-2-9
13-2-10
14-2-10
15-2-10
16-2-10
17-3-10
18-3-10
19-3-11
20-3-11
21-3-11
22-3-11
23-3-11
24-3-11
25-3-12
26-4-12
27-4-12
28-4-12
29-4-12
30-4-12
31-4-12

How December really feels in Puryŏng-ŭp

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
31 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Puryŏng-ŭp weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-5° / -14°184.25.39.30.0
Feb-2° / -12°173.94.510.30.0
Mar / -6°295.64.911.70.2
Apr11° / 488.12.813.12.6
May16° / 9113.20.414.34.5
Jun19° / 12°99130155.4
Jul22° / 17°17316.6014.75.5
Aug24° / 18°19617.4013.75.6
Sep20° / 13°1089.6012.36.4
Oct14° / 506.80.910.94.7
Nov / -3°396.54.79.60.6
Dec-2° / -10°286.47.190.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26832
36832
46832
56931
66931
76931
87030
97030
107030
117129
127129
137129
147228
157228
167228
177228
187327
197327
207327
217327
227327
237228
247228
257228
267228
277228
287228
297228
307228
317228

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Puryŏng-ŭp gets around 28 mm of rain and snow over 6.4 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 20% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days, and about 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12324
22324
32325
42325
52325
62325
72325
82325
92325
102325
112225
122224
132224
142124
152123
162023
172022
182022
191922
201921
211921
221921
231820
241820
251820
261820
271820
281820
291719
301719
311719

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 11 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 12 min at the start of December to 9 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:36 AM to 7:55 AM, and sunset from 4:46 PM to 4:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:364:46
29.17:374:45
39.17:384:45
49.17:394:45
59.17:404:45
69.17:414:45
79.07:424:45
89.07:434:45
99.07:444:45
109.07:444:45
119.07:454:45
129.07:464:45
139.07:474:45
149.07:484:45
159.07:484:46
168.97:494:46
178.97:504:46
188.97:504:46
198.97:514:47
208.97:514:47
218.97:524:48
228.97:524:48
238.97:534:49
248.97:534:49
258.97:544:50
268.97:544:50
278.97:544:51
288.97:554:51
299.07:554:52
309.07:554:53
319.07:554:54

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.96 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.96 kWh/m² to a high of 5.26 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 1.96 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.0Dim
22.0Dim
32.0Dim
42.0Dim
51.9Dim
61.9Dim
71.9Dim
81.9Dim
91.9Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
121.9Dim
131.9Dim
141.9Dim
151.9Dim
161.9Dim
171.9Dim
182.0Dim
192.0Dim
202.0Dim
212.0Dim
222.0Dim
232.0Moderate
242.0Moderate
252.0Moderate
262.0Moderate
272.0Moderate
282.1Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Puryŏng-ŭp

In seasonPeak

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

Puryŏng-ŭp sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Puryŏng-ŭp's rainy season runs May–September, 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 Puryŏng-ŭp?

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
8th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Puryŏng-ŭp.

What to pack for Puryŏng-ŭp in December

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

In December, Puryŏng-ŭp sees daytime highs around -2°C and nights near -10°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Puryŏng-ŭp in December

The nearest coast averages about 7°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 25 km away) is warmest in August at about 22°C and coldest in February near 3°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 28 to Sep 11 — about 1.5 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan4Bracing
Feb3Bracing
Mar3Bracing
Apr6Bracing
May9Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul19Cool
Aug22Refreshing
Sep20Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov12Bracing
Dec7Bracing

UV index in Puryŏng-ŭp in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Puryŏng-ŭp peaks around August 19 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighVery highModerateLowAug 19UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7High
Jul5Moderate
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Puryŏng-ŭp 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 Puryŏng-ŭp is worst in March — around 48 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.1× the cleanest month (August, 16 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModerateMar 1747 µg/m³Aug 1616 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan38Poor
Feb39Poor
Mar48Poor
Apr40Poor
May31Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct25Moderate
Nov26Moderate
Dec26Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Puryŏng-ŭp?

Puryŏng-ŭp sits at 42.1°N, 129.7°E, 176 m above sea level, in North Korea. The nearest listed city is Chongjin, 30 km away.

RanamHoeryŏngMusan-ŭpRajinKyŏngsŏngYŏnsa-ŭpSŏnbong

Topography around Puryŏng-ŭp

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Puryŏng-ŭp has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 479 m around an average of 273 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,561 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,502 m.

The land around Puryŏng-ŭp is covered by trees (58%) within 3 km, trees (90%) within 16 km, and trees (63%) and water (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
479 m
16 km
1,561 m
80 km
2,502 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Chongjin 30 km · Ranam 39 km · Hoeryŏng 42 km · Musan-ŭp 45 km · Rajin 52 km · Kyŏngsŏng 53 km · Yŏnsa-ŭp 60 km · Sŏnbong 64 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 Puryŏng-ŭp (42.0622°, 129.7046°, elevation 176 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).