La Chaux-de-Fonds weather in December

In December, La Chaux-de-Fonds sees average daytime highs of 3°C and overnight lows near -1°C, with 128 mm of precipitation across 14.6 wet days and about 8.4 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 3°C through the month. 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 8 h 36 min at the start of December to 8 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is La Chaux-de-Fonds's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see La Chaux-de-Fonds's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-1°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
128 mm
14.6 wet days
Daylight
8 h 18 min
8:19 AM – 4:38 PM
Cloud cover
73%
11th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

La Chaux-de-Fonds is municipality in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.

Density
681/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

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 3°C through the month.

A typical December day in La Chaux-de-Fonds reaches about 3°C in the afternoon and slips back to -1°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -1°C and 8°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
140
240
340
440
540
640
74-1
84-1
94-1
104-1
114-1
124-1
133-1
143-1
153-1
163-1
173-1
183-1
193-1
203-1
213-1
223-1
233-1
243-1
253-2
263-2
273-2
283-2
293-2
303-2
313-2

How December really feels in La Chaux-de-Fonds

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.

La Chaux-de-Fonds weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -2°10913.59.18.70.0
Feb / -2°9712.39.1100.0
Mar / 10713.76.311.61.4
Apr13° / 11215.33.613.32.9
May17° / 14717.60.614.84.3
Jun20° / 11°14217015.65.2
Jul22° / 13°14916.7015.35.7
Aug22° / 13°14815.80145.8
Sep17° / 10°11614012.45.0
Oct13° / 11613.70.910.63.1
Nov / 11513.559.10.8
Dec / -1°12814.68.88.40.0

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 10% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 72%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12773
22872
32773
42773
52773
62674
72773
82872
92872
102773
112872
122872
132872
142872
152872
162872
172872
182872
192872
202872
212872
222872
232773
242773
252773
262773
272773
282872
292872
302872
312872

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

La Chaux-de-Fonds gets around 128 mm of rain and snow over 14.6 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 47% and peaks near 48% on the wettest days, and about 9 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14525
24526
34626
44627
54727
64728
74728
84828
94829
104829
114829
124829
134829
144829
154829
164829
174829
184728
194728
204728
214728
224729
234729
244729
254729
264729
274729
284729
294728
304628
314628

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 9 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 36 min at the start of December to 8 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:05 AM to 8:25 AM, and sunset from 4:40 PM to 4:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.68:054:40
28.68:064:39
38.58:074:39
48.58:094:39
58.58:104:38
68.58:114:38
78.48:124:38
88.48:134:38
98.48:144:38
108.48:154:38
118.48:154:38
128.48:164:38
138.38:174:38
148.38:184:38
158.38:194:38
168.38:194:38
178.38:204:39
188.38:214:39
198.38:214:39
208.38:224:40
218.38:224:40
228.38:234:40
238.38:234:41
248.38:244:41
258.38:244:42
268.38:244:43
278.38:254:43
288.38:254:44
298.38:254:45
308.38:254:45
318.38:254:46

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.05 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.05 kWh/m² to a high of 5.81 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.05 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.2Dim
21.1Dim
31.1Dim
41.1Dim
51.1Dim
61.1Dim
71.1Dim
81.1Dim
91.1Dim
101.1Dim
111.1Dim
121.1Dim
131.1Dim
141.1Dim
151.0Dim
161.0Dim
171.0Dim
181.0Dim
191.0Dim
201.0Dim
211.0Dim
221.0Dim
231.0Dim
241.0Dim
251.0Dim
261.0Dim
271.0Dim
281.1Dim
291.1Dim
301.1Dim
311.1Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit La Chaux-de-Fonds?

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 La Chaux-de-Fonds.

What to pack for La Chaux-de-Fonds in December

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

In December, La Chaux-de-Fonds sees daytime highs around 3°C and nights near -1°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 15 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara heavy coat

UV index in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds peaks around July 15 at about 8 (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 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 15UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is La Chaux-de-Fonds?

La Chaux-de-Fonds sits at 47.1°N, 6.8°E, 995 m above sea level, in Switzerland. The nearest listed city is Neuchâtel, 14 km away.

Biel/BienneYverdon-les-BainsFribourgPontarlierAudincourtGrenchenMontbéliard

Topography around La Chaux-de-Fonds

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Within 3 km, the terrain around La Chaux-de-Fonds has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 361 m around an average of 1,087 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,112 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,174 m.

The land around La Chaux-de-Fonds is covered by grassland (50%) and trees (33%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and grassland (44%) within 16 km, and trees (49%) and grassland (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
361 m
16 km
1,112 m
80 km
2,174 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Neuchâtel 14 km · Biel/Bienne 32 km · Yverdon-les-Bains 38 km · Fribourg 41 km · Pontarlier 42 km · Audincourt 43 km · Grenchen 44 km · Montbéliard 46 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds (47.0999°, 6.8259°, elevation 995 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).