Sokcho weather in December

In December, Sokcho sees average daytime highs of 4°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 39 mm of precipitation across 5.9 wet days and about 9.4 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 6°C in the first days to 2°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Sokcho's 1st-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sokcho's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
39 mm
5.9 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
7:41 AM – 5:02 PM
Cloud cover
39%
1st clearest
Wind
14 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
2.34 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.1
out of 10

Sokcho is human settlement.

Density
771/km²
people per km²

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 6°C in the first days to 2°C by the end.

A typical December day in Sokcho reaches about 4°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -2°C and 8°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
160
260
360
460
55-1
65-1
75-1
85-1
95-1
104-2
114-2
124-2
134-2
144-2
154-3
164-3
173-3
183-3
193-3
203-3
213-3
223-3
233-4
243-4
253-4
263-4
273-4
283-4
292-4
302-4
312-4

How December really feels in Sokcho

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Sokcho weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -6°436.45.39.60.0
Feb / -4°3964.610.50.0
Mar / 548.24.411.71.4
Apr14° / 738.21134.2
May18° / 12°877.90146.2
Jun22° / 16°949.5014.66.6
Jul25° / 20°20714.1014.46.0
Aug25° / 21°20015.2013.55.9
Sep22° / 17°14910.4012.36.5
Oct17° / 10°717.30.1116.0
Nov10° / 668.31.59.92.6
Dec / -3°395.93.59.40.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in December, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26535
36535
46733
56733
66832
76832
86931
97030
107030
117030
127030
137030
147129
157030
167030
177030
187030
197030
207129
217129
227129
237228
247228
257228
267327
277327
287327
297228
307228
317228

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Sokcho gets around 39 mm of rain and snow over 5.9 wet days in December, the driest month. 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 26% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12611
22611
32611
42512
52512
62412
72412
82312
92212
102212
112211
122111
132111
142011
152011
161911
171810
181810
191710
201710
211711
221611
231611
241611
251611
261612
271612
281612
291612
301613
311613

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

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 30 min at the start of December to 9 h 24 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 7:29 AM to 7:47 AM, and sunset from 5:02 PM to 5:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.57:295:02
29.57:305:01
39.57:315:01
49.57:325:01
59.57:335:01
69.57:345:01
79.47:355:01
89.47:355:01
99.47:365:01
109.47:375:01
119.47:385:01
129.47:385:02
139.47:395:02
149.47:405:02
159.47:405:02
169.47:415:02
179.47:425:03
189.37:425:03
199.37:435:04
209.37:435:04
219.37:445:04
229.37:445:05
239.37:455:05
249.37:455:06
259.37:465:06
269.37:465:07
279.47:465:07
289.47:475:08
299.47:475:09
309.47:475:09
319.47:475:10

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.34 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.34 kWh/m² to a high of 5.8 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.34 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.3Moderate
22.3Moderate
32.3Moderate
42.3Moderate
52.3Moderate
62.3Moderate
72.3Moderate
82.3Moderate
92.3Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.3Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.4Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Sokcho

In seasonPeak

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

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

Sokcho's rainy season runs June–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 Sokcho?

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

0.1
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sokcho.

What to pack for Sokcho in December

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

In December, Sokcho sees daytime highs around 4°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Sokcho in December

The nearest coast averages about 12°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 24°C and coldest in February near 8°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 1 to Oct 5 — about 3.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

5°10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan10Bracing
Feb8Bracing
Mar9Bracing
Apr11Bracing
May14Bracing
Jun18Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug24Warm
Sep22Refreshing
Oct19Cool
Nov15Cool
Dec12Bracing

UV index in Sokcho 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 Sokcho peaks around August 17 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. 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 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateLowAug 17UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun7Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Sokcho 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 Sokcho is worst in March — around 46 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.4× the cleanest month (September, 19 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModerateMar 2046 µg/m³Sep 1120 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan35Poor
Feb38Poor
Mar46Poor
Apr43Poor
May36Poor
Jun29Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug21Moderate
Sep19Moderate
Oct26Moderate
Nov31Moderate
Dec30Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sokcho?

Sokcho sits at 38.2°N, 128.6°E, 20 m above sea level, in South Korea. The nearest listed city is Kosong, 22 km away.

JumunjinYangguGangneungHwacheonChuncheonHongch’ŏnDonghae City

Topography around Sokcho

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sokcho has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 132 m around an average of 11 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,694 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,646 m.

The land around Sokcho is covered by water (47%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 3 km, water (50%) and trees (37%) within 16 km, and trees (62%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
132 m
16 km
1,694 m
80 km
1,646 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Kosong 22 km · Jumunjin 41 km · Yanggu 54 km · Gangneung 56 km · Hwacheon 78 km · Chuncheon 84 km · Hongch’ŏn 84 km · Donghae City 86 km

South Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 57% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$36,227
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
8.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 522
Religion
none 60%Protestant 17%Buddhist 16%Catholic 6%

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 Sokcho (38.207°, 128.5918°, elevation 20 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).