Interlaken weather in December

In December, Interlaken sees average daytime highs of 1°C and overnight lows near -5°C, with 125 mm of precipitation across 14.1 wet days and about 8.4 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 6th-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 27% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 36 min at the start of December to 8 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Interlaken's 10th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Interlaken's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-5°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
125 mm
14.1 wet days
Daylight
8 h 24 min
8:13 AM – 4:36 PM
Cloud cover
63%
10th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.22 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 2°C in the first days to 0°C by the end.

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

-15°-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12-4
22-4
32-4
42-4
52-4
62-4
72-4
81-5
91-5
101-5
111-5
121-5
131-5
141-5
151-5
161-5
171-5
181-5
191-5
201-5
211-5
221-5
231-5
241-6
250-6
260-6
270-6
280-6
290-6
300-6
310-6

How December really feels in Interlaken

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.

Interlaken weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -7°11913.613.38.80.0
Feb / -6°10612.211.7100.0
Mar / -3°11414.512.411.60.3
Apr / 12414.89.213.31.6
May13° / 19319.15.414.83.0
Jun17° / 19819.11.415.64.3
Jul19° / 10°21119.20.815.35.0
Aug19° / 10°21018.31145.0
Sep15° / 14514.42.112.44.0
Oct11° / 11612.14.710.62.6
Nov / -2°12213.610.79.20.3
Dec / -5°12514.113.28.40.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% 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 61%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13664
23664
33763
43763
53763
63862
73862
83862
93961
104060
114060
124060
134060
143961
153961
163961
173961
184060
193961
203961
213961
224060
233961
243961
253961
264060
274060
284060
293961
304060
314060

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Interlaken gets around 125 mm of rain and snow over 14.1 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 46% and peaks near 48% on the wettest days, and about 13 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14439
24439
34440
44540
54540
64541
74541
84541
94542
104542
114542
124543
134543
144543
154543
164544
174543
184543
194543
204544
214544
224644
234644
244744
254745
264745
274845
284845
294845
304845
314745

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

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 36 min at the start of December to 8 h 24 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 7:59 AM to 8:20 AM, and sunset from 4:37 PM to 4:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.67:594:37
28.68:014:37
38.68:024:36
48.68:034:36
58.58:044:36
68.58:054:36
78.58:064:36
88.58:074:35
98.58:084:35
108.48:094:35
118.48:104:35
128.48:104:35
138.48:114:35
148.48:124:36
158.48:134:36
168.48:134:36
178.48:144:36
188.48:154:36
198.48:154:37
208.48:164:37
218.48:174:38
228.38:174:38
238.48:174:38
248.48:184:39
258.48:184:40
268.48:194:40
278.48:194:41
288.48:194:42
298.48:194:42
308.48:194:43
318.48:204:44

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.22 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.22 kWh/m² to a high of 5.71 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.22 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.3Dim
31.3Dim
41.3Dim
51.3Dim
61.3Dim
71.3Dim
81.3Dim
91.3Dim
101.2Dim
111.2Dim
121.2Dim
131.2Dim
141.2Dim
151.2Dim
161.2Dim
171.2Dim
181.2Dim
191.2Dim
201.2Dim
211.2Dim
221.2Dim
231.2Dim
241.2Dim
251.2Dim
261.2Dim
271.2Dim
281.2Dim
291.2Dim
301.2Dim
311.2Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Interlaken?

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
6th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Interlaken.

What to pack for Interlaken in December

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

In December, Interlaken sees daytime highs around 1°C and nights near -5°C. Pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Interlaken 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 Interlaken peaks around July 15 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 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 15UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Interlaken?

Interlaken sits at 46.7°N, 7.9°E, 0 m above sea level, in Switzerland. The nearest listed city is Lauterbrunnen, 11 km away.

ThunSteffisburgBernKönizBurgdorfKriens

Topography around Interlaken

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Interlaken has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,058 m around an average of 749 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,389 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,230 m.

The land around Interlaken is covered by trees (54%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, grassland (43%) and trees (42%) within 16 km, and trees (38%) and grassland (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,058 m
16 km
3,389 m
80 km
4,230 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Lauterbrunnen 11 km · Grindelwald 15 km · Thun 20 km · Steffisburg 21 km · Bern 43 km · Köniz 44 km · Burgdorf 45 km · Kriens 50 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 Interlaken (46.6839°, 7.8664°, elevation 0 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).