Santa Cruz de la Palma weather in December

In December, Santa Cruz de la Palma sees average daytime highs of 18°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 51 mm of rain across 8.8 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 18°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in December, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 18 min at the start of December to 10 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Santa Cruz de la Palma's 11th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Cruz de la Palma's year-round climate.

Daytime high
18°
7th warmest
Overnight low
17°
6th coldest
Rainfall
51 mm
8.8 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
8:02 AM – 6:13 PM
Cloud cover
47%
11th clearest
Wind
28 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
3.38 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Santa Cruz de la Palma is municipal capital of Santa Cruz de La Palma, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 8.5 µg/m³ · 2019

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 18°C through the month.

A typical December day in Santa Cruz de la Palma reaches about 18°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 19°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

14°16°18°20°22°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11817
21817
31817
41817
51817
61817
71817
81817
91817
101817
111817
121817
131817
141817
151817
161817
171817
181817
191817
201817
211817
221817
231817
241817
251817
261817
271817
281817
291717
301716
311716

Santa Cruz de la Palma weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 7th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan17° / 16°326.510.46.0
Feb16° / 15°325.9115.8
Mar16° / 15°295.511.86.0
Apr17° / 16°153.712.76.4
May18° / 17°7213.47.1
Jun19° / 18°41.313.87.8
Jul20° / 19°31.113.68.2
Aug21° / 20°40.8138.5
Sep21° / 21°82.312.28.2
Oct21° / 20°266.611.37.3
Nov19° / 18°368.310.66.6
Dec18° / 17°518.810.26.3

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 23% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16931
26931
36733
46733
56733
66733
76733
86733
96733
106733
116733
126733
136733
146733
156733
166832
176832
186832
196931
207030
217030
227030
237129
247129
257228
267228
277228
287228
297327
307327
317327

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Santa Cruz de la Palma gets around 51 mm of rain over 8.8 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 28% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
330
430
530
631
731
831
931
1031
1131
1231
1331
1431
1531
1631
1731
1830
1930
2029
2128
2227
2326
2425
2524
2623
2722
2821
2920
3019
3119

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the comfortable band about 49% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13249191
23250181
33151171
43152161
53153151
63154150
73155140
83155140
93155140
103155140
113155140
123155140
133254140
143254140
153353140
163452140
173452140
183551140
193649140
203748140
213947140
224046140
234145140
244244140
254343130
264443130
274542120
284742110
294842110
304941100
31504190

Wind in December

Winds average 28 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 27 km/h on the calmest days to 29 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
128breezy
228breezy
328breezy
428breezy
528breezy
628breezy
728breezy
828breezy
928breezy
1028breezy
1128breezy
1228breezy
1329breezy
1429breezy
1529breezy
1629breezy
1729breezy
1829breezy
1929breezy
2028breezy
2128breezy
2228breezy
2328breezy
2428breezy
2528breezy
2628breezy
2727breezy
2827breezy
2927breezy
3027breezy
3127breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 18 min at the start of December to 10 h 12 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 7:52 AM to 8:08 AM, and sunset from 6:10 PM to 6:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.37:526:10
210.37:526:10
310.37:536:10
410.37:546:10
510.37:556:10
610.27:556:10
710.27:566:10
810.27:576:11
910.27:576:11
1010.27:586:11
1110.27:596:11
1210.27:596:11
1310.28:006:12
1410.28:016:12
1510.28:016:12
1610.28:026:13
1710.28:026:13
1810.28:036:13
1910.28:036:14
2010.28:046:14
2110.28:046:15
2210.28:056:15
2310.28:056:16
2410.28:066:16
2510.28:066:17
2610.28:076:17
2710.28:076:18
2810.28:076:18
2910.28:086:19
3010.28:086:19
3110.28:086:20

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.38 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.38 kWh/m² to a high of 7.5 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.38 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.4Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.4Moderate
113.4Moderate
123.4Moderate
133.4Moderate
143.4Moderate
153.4Moderate
163.4Moderate
173.4Moderate
183.4Moderate
193.4Moderate
203.4Moderate
213.4Moderate
223.4Moderate
233.4Moderate
243.4Moderate
253.4Moderate
263.4Moderate
273.4Moderate
283.4Moderate
293.4Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.5Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Santa Cruz de la Palma

In seasonPeak

None of Santa Cruz de la Palma's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Santa Cruz de la Palma sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Santa Cruz de la Palma?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
2.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Santa Cruz de la Palma for sightseeing.

What to pack for Santa Cruz de la Palma in December

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

In December, Santa Cruz de la Palma sees daytime highs around 18°C and nights near 17°C. Pack a windbreaker. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a windbreakerrain gear

Sea temperature near Santa Cruz de la Palma in December

The nearest coast averages about 21°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 13 km away) is warmest in September at about 24°C and coldest in March near 19°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 1 to Jan 16 — about 8.6 months when the water holds above 20°C.

18°20°22°24°26°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Refreshing
Feb19Cool
Mar19Cool
Apr20Cool
May20Refreshing
Jun22Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep24Warm
Oct24Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec21Refreshing

UV index in Santa Cruz de la Palma in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santa Cruz de la Palma peaks around June 22 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highModerateJun 22UV 11Dec 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb6High
Mar9Very high
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Santa Cruz de la Palma 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 Santa Cruz de la Palma is worst in October — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.8× the cleanest month (June, 4 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Santa Cruz de la Palma's WHO annual average of 8.5 µg/m³.

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodOct 1818 µg/m³Jun 124 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb10Good
Mar6Good
Apr5Good
May4Good
Jun4Good
Jul5Good
Aug6Good
Sep9Good
Oct19Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Santa Cruz de la Palma?

Santa Cruz de la Palma sits at 28.7°N, 17.8°W, 18 m above sea level, in Spain. The nearest listed city is Los Llanos de Aridane, 15 km away.

Arona

Topography around Santa Cruz de la Palma

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Santa Cruz de la Palma.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Santa Cruz de la Palma has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 621 m around an average of 146 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,416 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,398 m.

The land around Santa Cruz de la Palma is covered by water (44%) and trees (28%) within 3 km, water (47%) and trees (36%) within 16 km, and water (92%) within 80 km.

3 km
621 m
16 km
2,416 m
80 km
2,398 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Los Llanos de Aridane 15 km · Icod de los Vinos 108 km · Guía de Isora 110 km · Adeje 119 km · Realejo Alto 120 km · Los Realejos 120 km · Puerto de la Cruz 122 km · Arona 124 km

Spain travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$38,627
2025
Happiness
6.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 540
Religion
Roman Catholic 58%atheist 16%agnostic 11%non-believer 11%

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 Santa Cruz de la Palma (28.6835°, -17.7642°, elevation 18 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).