Sŏnbong weather in December

In December, Sŏnbong sees average daytime highs of -1°C and overnight lows near -8°C, with 17 mm of precipitation across 3.7 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 1°C in the first days to -3°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Sŏnbong's 2nd-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sŏnbong's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-1°
11th warmest
Overnight low
-8°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
17 mm
3.7 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:47 AM – 4:42 PM
Cloud cover
36%
2nd clearest
Wind
18 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.99 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 1°C in the first days to -3°C by the end.

A typical December day in Sŏnbong reaches about -1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -8°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -7°C and 4°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-15°-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11-5
21-5
31-5
41-6
50-6
60-6
70-6
80-6
9-1-7
10-1-7
11-1-7
12-1-7
13-1-7
14-1-8
15-2-8
16-2-8
17-2-8
18-2-8
19-2-8
20-2-8
21-2-9
22-2-9
23-2-9
24-3-9
25-3-9
26-3-9
27-3-9
28-3-9
29-3-9
30-3-10
31-3-10

How December really feels in Sŏnbong

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.

Sŏnbong 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-4° / -10°162.42.79.30.0
Feb-1° / -8°142.72.710.30.0
Mar / -2°254.62.911.60.3
Apr10° / 436.71.313.12.5
May15° / 8310.70.114.44.3
Jun19° / 14°809.80155.7
Jul22° / 18°14312.3014.86.1
Aug24° / 20°14012.4013.76.4
Sep21° / 15°867.7012.36.9
Oct15° / 455.70.310.85.3
Nov / -1°354.62.29.60.9
Dec-1° / -8°173.73.490.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% 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 27%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17129
27129
37129
47129
57228
67129
77129
87129
97129
107228
117228
127228
137228
147327
157327
167327
177426
187525
197525
207525
217525
227525
237525
247525
257525
267525
277525
287525
297525
307525
317525

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Sŏnbong gets around 17 mm of rain and snow over 3.7 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 12% and peaks near 15% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11511
21511
31511
41411
51411
61411
71411
81311
91311
101311
111311
121211
131211
141211
151111
161111
171111
181111
191111
201111
211111
221111
231111
241111
251111
261111
271111
281111
291111
301111
311111

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 18 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 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 7:34 AM to 7:53 AM, and sunset from 4:42 PM to 4:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:344:42
29.17:354:42
39.17:364:42
49.17:374:41
59.17:384:41
69.07:394:41
79.07:404:41
89.07:414:41
99.07:424:41
109.07:434:41
119.07:444:41
129.07:444:41
138.97:454:41
148.97:464:42
158.97:464:42
168.97:474:42
178.97:484:42
188.97:484:43
198.97:494:43
208.97:504:43
218.97:504:44
228.97:514:44
238.97:514:45
248.97:514:45
258.97:524:46
268.97:524:46
278.97:524:47
288.97:534:48
298.97:534:48
308.97:534:49
318.97:534:50

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.99 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.99 kWh/m² to a high of 5.33 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 1.99 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.0Moderate
22.0Moderate
32.0Moderate
42.0Moderate
52.0Moderate
62.0Moderate
72.0Moderate
82.0Moderate
92.0Dim
102.0Dim
112.0Dim
122.0Dim
132.0Dim
142.0Dim
152.0Dim
162.0Dim
172.0Dim
182.0Dim
192.0Dim
202.0Moderate
212.0Moderate
222.0Moderate
232.0Moderate
242.0Moderate
252.0Moderate
262.0Moderate
272.1Moderate
282.1Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Sŏnbong

In seasonPeak

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

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

Sŏnbong'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 Sŏnbong?

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
7th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sŏnbong.

What to pack for Sŏnbong in December

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

In December, Sŏnbong sees daytime highs around -1°C and nights near -8°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 4 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Sŏnbong 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 31 to Sep 8 — about 1.3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan3Bracing
Feb3Bracing
Mar3Bracing
Apr5Bracing
May9Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul19Cool
Aug22Refreshing
Sep20Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov11Bracing
Dec7Bracing

UV index in Sŏnbong 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 Sŏnbong 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 22 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighHighModerateLowAug 19UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun7High
Jul5Moderate
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Sŏnbong 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 Sŏnbong is worst in March — around 41 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.2× the cleanest month (August, 10 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateGoodModerateMar 1840 µg/m³Aug 1610 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan22Moderate
Feb34Moderate
Mar41Poor
Apr36Poor
May21Moderate
Jun11Good
Jul10Good
Aug10Good
Sep10Good
Oct14Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec16Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sŏnbong?

Sŏnbong sits at 42.4°N, 130.4°E, 12 m above sea level, in North Korea. The nearest listed city is Unggi, 3.0 km away.

HoeryŏngPuryŏng-ŭpOnsŏngNamyang

Topography around Sŏnbong

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sŏnbong has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 493 m around an average of 79 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,137 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,584 m.

The land around Sŏnbong is covered by cropland (40%) and trees (31%) within 3 km, trees (61%) and water (23%) within 16 km, and trees (46%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
493 m
16 km
1,137 m
80 km
1,584 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Unggi 3.0 km · Rajin 13 km · Aoji-ri 19 km · Ŭndŏk 19 km · Hoeryŏng 53 km · Puryŏng-ŭp 64 km · Onsŏng 75 km · Namyang 79 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 Sŏnbong (42.3512°, 130.3831°, elevation 12 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).