Karlstad weather in December

In December, Karlstad sees average daytime highs of 1°C and overnight lows near -4°C, with 57 mm of precipitation across 10.7 wet days and about 5.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 2°C in the first days to -0°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 6 h 18 min at the start of December to 5 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Karlstad's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Karlstad's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-4°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
57 mm
10.7 wet days
Daylight
5 h 48 min
9:09 AM – 2:55 PM
Cloud cover
75%
11th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
0.2 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Karlstad is urban area in Karlstad Municipality, Sweden.

Air quality
Good
PM10 17.2 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

Highs ease over the month, from about 2°C in the first days to -0°C by the end.

A typical December day in Karlstad reaches about 1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -4°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -5°C and 6°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12-2
22-2
32-2
42-2
52-2
62-2
72-2
82-2
92-3
102-3
111-3
121-3
131-3
141-3
151-4
161-4
171-4
181-4
191-4
200-4
210-4
220-4
230-5
240-5
250-5
260-5
270-5
280-5
290-5
300-5
310-5

How December really feels in Karlstad

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
6 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Karlstad weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-0° / -5°5210.37.56.60.0
Feb / -5°408.26.78.70.0
Mar / -3°377.84.811.30.3
Apr10° / 418.51.814.12.4
May16° / 6110.80.216.64.7
Jun19° / 10°7711.6018.15.8
Jul22° / 13°7812.4017.56.1
Aug20° / 12°8813.1015.35.9
Sep16° / 649.9012.64.7
Oct10° / 6411.30.79.82.0
Nov / 5911.13.17.30.1
Dec / -4°5710.76.15.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 73%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12278
22278
32278
42278
52377
62278
72377
82476
92476
102575
112575
122575
132773
142773
152773
162872
172872
182971
193070
203070
213070
223070
233070
243070
253070
263070
273070
283070
292971
302971
312971

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Karlstad gets around 57 mm of rain and snow over 10.7 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 35% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13917
23817
33817
43817
53717
63717
73717
83617
93617
103616
113516
123516
133416
143316
153317
163217
173218
183218
193219
203220
213221
223321
233322
243322
253323
263323
273423
283424
293524
303625
313625

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 13 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 6 h 18 min at the start of December to 5 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:47 AM to 9:14 AM, and sunset from 3:04 PM to 3:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
16.38:473:04
26.28:493:03
36.28:513:02
46.18:533:01
56.18:543:00
66.18:562:59
76.08:582:59
86.08:592:58
95.99:012:57
105.99:022:57
115.99:032:56
125.99:052:56
135.89:062:56
145.89:072:55
155.89:082:55
165.89:092:55
175.89:102:55
185.79:112:55
195.79:122:56
205.79:122:56
215.79:132:56
225.79:132:57
235.79:142:57
245.79:142:58
255.79:142:58
265.79:152:59
275.89:153:00
285.89:153:01
295.89:153:02
305.89:143:03
315.89:143:04

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.2 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.2 kWh/m² to a high of 5.79 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.2 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.3Dim
20.2Dim
30.2Dim
40.2Dim
50.2Dim
60.2Dim
70.2Dim
80.2Dim
90.2Dim
100.2Dim
110.2Dim
120.2Dim
130.2Dim
140.2Dim
150.2Dim
160.2Dim
170.2Dim
180.2Dim
190.2Dim
200.2Dim
210.2Dim
220.2Dim
230.2Dim
240.2Dim
250.2Dim
260.2Dim
270.2Dim
280.2Dim
290.2Dim
300.2Dim
310.2Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Karlstad?

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 Karlstad.

What to pack for Karlstad in December

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

In December, Karlstad sees daytime highs around 1°C and nights near -4°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Karlstad in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 0. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Karlstad peaks around June 17 at about 5 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJun 17UV 5Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Low
Apr3Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun5Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Karlstad?

Karlstad sits at 59.4°N, 13.5°E, 58 m above sea level, in Sweden. The nearest listed city is Kristinehamn, 35 km away.

ÖrebroKumlaLidköpingSkövdeHalden

Topography around Karlstad

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Karlstad has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 48 m around an average of 51 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 113 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 434 m.

The land around Karlstad is covered by artificial surfaces (33%) and trees (30%) within 3 km, trees (41%) and water (36%) within 16 km, and trees (61%) and water (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
48 m
16 km
113 m
80 km
434 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Kristinehamn 35 km · Karlskoga 58 km · Mariestad 77 km · Örebro 97 km · Kumla 97 km · Lidköping 99 km · Skövde 112 km · Halden 124 km

Sweden travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 87% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$63,133
2025
Happiness
7.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 609
Religion
Church of Sweden 54%none or unspecified 37%other 9%

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 Karlstad (59.3793°, 13.5036°, elevation 58 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).