Bellinzona weather in December

In December, Bellinzona sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -5°C, with 81 mm of precipitation across 9.6 wet days and about 8.5 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 3°C in the first days to 2°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Bellinzona's 3rd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bellinzona's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-5°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
81 mm
9.6 wet days
Daylight
8 h 24 min
8:07 AM – 4:33 PM
Cloud cover
53%
3rd clearest
Wind
5 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.33 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Bellinzona is capital of the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.

Density
2,260/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 3°C in the first days to 2°C by the end.

A typical December day in Bellinzona reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -5°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -2°C and 6°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-15°-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
14-3
23-3
33-4
43-4
53-4
63-4
73-4
83-4
93-4
103-5
113-5
123-5
132-5
142-5
152-5
162-5
172-5
182-5
192-5
202-5
212-5
222-5
232-5
242-5
252-6
262-6
272-6
282-6
292-6
302-6
312-6

How December really feels in Bellinzona

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.

Bellinzona 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 / -6°688.88.98.80.0
Feb / -5°598.38.1100.0
Mar / -2°8210.16.511.61.0
Apr11° / 13013.1513.32.4
May15° / 15216.61.314.73.9
Jun19° / 10°15015.90.315.55.3
Jul21° / 11°12714.80.115.25.9
Aug21° / 11°15013.50146.0
Sep16° / 14812.40.412.34.9
Oct12° / 16013.12.110.72.7
Nov / -1°15811.96.79.20.6
Dec / -5°819.688.50.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 46%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25248
35248
45248
55347
65446
75446
85545
95545
105545
115545
125545
135545
145545
155545
165545
175545
185545
195545
205545
215446
225446
235446
245446
255545
265545
275545
285644
295644
305545
315545

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Bellinzona gets around 81 mm of rain and snow over 9.6 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 31% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 8 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13225
23225
33125
43125
53125
63025
73025
83025
93025
103025
113025
123026
133126
143126
153126
163126
173226
183226
193226
203226
213226
223226
233227
243227
253127
263127
273128
283128
293128
303129
313129

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

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 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 7:53 AM to 8:13 AM, and sunset from 4:34 PM to 4:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.77:534:34
28.77:544:34
38.67:554:34
48.67:564:33
58.67:574:33
68.67:584:33
78.67:594:33
88.58:004:33
98.58:014:33
108.58:024:33
118.58:034:33
128.58:044:33
138.58:054:33
148.58:054:33
158.48:064:33
168.48:074:33
178.48:084:34
188.48:084:34
198.48:094:34
208.48:094:35
218.48:104:35
228.48:104:35
238.48:114:36
248.48:114:36
258.48:124:37
268.48:124:38
278.48:124:38
288.48:134:39
298.48:134:40
308.58:134:40
318.58:134:41

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.33 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.33 kWh/m² to a high of 5.77 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.33 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.4Dim
31.4Dim
41.4Dim
51.4Dim
61.4Dim
71.4Dim
81.4Dim
91.4Dim
101.4Dim
111.4Dim
121.4Dim
131.4Dim
141.3Dim
151.3Dim
161.3Dim
171.3Dim
181.3Dim
191.3Dim
201.3Dim
211.3Dim
221.3Dim
231.3Dim
241.3Dim
251.3Dim
261.3Dim
271.3Dim
281.3Dim
291.4Dim
301.4Dim
311.4Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Bellinzona?

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 Bellinzona.

What to pack for Bellinzona in December

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

In December, Bellinzona sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -5°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Bellinzona 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 Bellinzona peaks around July 16 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. 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 highHighModerateLowJul 16UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Bellinzona?

Bellinzona sits at 46.2°N, 9.0°E, 230 m above sea level, in Switzerland. The nearest listed city is Locarno, 17 km away.

LuganoComoVaresePallanza-Intra-SunaMalnateErbaVerbania

Topography around Bellinzona

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bellinzona has very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,236 m around an average of 523 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,510 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,912 m.

The land around Bellinzona is covered by trees (72%) within 3 km, trees (69%) and grassland (24%) within 16 km, and trees (49%) and grassland (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,236 m
16 km
2,510 m
80 km
3,912 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Locarno 17 km · Lugano 21 km · Como 43 km · Varese 44 km · Pallanza-Intra-Suna 45 km · Malnate 46 km · Erba 46 km · Verbania 47 km

Switzerland travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / J
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 112% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$114,769
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.6
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
2.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 564
Religion
Roman Catholic 34%none 29%Protestant 23%other Christian 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 Bellinzona (46.1928°, 9.017°, elevation 230 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).