Neuchâtel weather in December

In December, Neuchâtel sees average daytime highs of 4°C and overnight lows near -1°C, with 117 mm of precipitation across 14.2 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 4°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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Neuchâtel's 11th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Neuchâtel's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-1°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
117 mm
14.2 wet days
Daylight
8 h 18 min
8:19 AM – 4:38 PM
Cloud cover
72%
11th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
1.06 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Neuchâtel is capital of the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 9 µg/m³ · 2020
Density
1,855/km²
people per km²
Founded
1011

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 4°C through the month.

A typical December day in Neuchâtel reaches about 4°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 9°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)
150
250
340
440
540
640
74-1
84-1
94-1
104-1
114-1
124-1
134-1
144-1
154-1
164-1
174-1
184-1
194-1
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 Neuchâtel

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.

Neuchâtel 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°9913.298.70.0
Feb / -2°8911.98.9100.1
Mar / 9813.66.211.61.6
Apr13° / 10515.23.413.33.1
May17° / 14217.60.514.84.4
Jun20° / 11°13516.9015.65.3
Jul23° / 13°14316.8015.35.8
Aug22° / 13°13915.70145.9
Sep18° / 10°10913.3012.45.2
Oct13° / 10713.30.710.63.3
Nov / 10713.64.79.10.9
Dec / -1°11714.28.78.40.0

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 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 71%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12872
22971
32971
42971
52971
62971
72971
82971
93070
103070
113070
123070
133070
142971
152971
163070
173070
183070
192971
202971
212971
222971
232971
242971
252971
262971
272971
282971
292971
303070
313070

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Neuchâtel gets around 117 mm of rain and snow over 14.2 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 47% on the wettest days, and about 9 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14424
24425
34526
44526
54526
64627
74627
84627
94628
104628
114628
124729
134729
144729
154729
164729
174629
184628
194628
204628
214629
224629
234629
244629
254629
264629
274629
284629
294628
304628
314528

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 8 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

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 8:04 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)
18.68:044:40
28.68:054:39
38.58:074:39
48.58:084:39
58.58:094:38
68.58:104:38
78.58:114:38
88.48:124:38
98.48:134:38
108.48:144:38
118.48:154:38
128.48:154:38
138.48:164:38
148.38:174:38
158.38:184:38
168.38:194:38
178.38:194:39
188.38:204:39
198.38:204:39
208.38:214:40
218.38:224:40
228.38:224:40
238.38:224:41
248.38:234:41
258.38:234:42
268.38:244:43
278.38:244:43
288.38:244:44
298.38:244:45
308.38:244:45
318.48:254:46

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.06 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.06 kWh/m² to a high of 5.76 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.06 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.2Dim
21.2Dim
31.1Dim
41.1Dim
51.1Dim
61.1Dim
71.1Dim
81.1Dim
91.1Dim
101.1Dim
111.1Dim
121.1Dim
131.1Dim
141.1Dim
151.1Dim
161.1Dim
171.0Dim
181.0Dim
191.0Dim
201.0Dim
211.0Dim
221.0Dim
231.0Dim
241.0Dim
251.0Dim
261.1Dim
271.1Dim
281.1Dim
291.1Dim
301.1Dim
311.1Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Neuchâtel?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Neuchâtel.

What to pack for Neuchâtel in December

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

In December, Neuchâtel sees daytime highs around 4°C and nights near -1°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara heavy coat

UV index in Neuchâtel 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 Neuchâtel 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
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Neuchâtel?

Neuchâtel sits at 47.0°N, 6.9°E, 441 m above sea level, in Switzerland. The nearest listed city is La Chaux-de-Fonds, 14 km away.

FribourgBiel/BienneYverdon-les-BainsKönizBernGrenchenBulle

Topography around Neuchâtel

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Neuchâtel has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 713 m around an average of 549 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,084 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,005 m.

The land around Neuchâtel is covered by water (47%) and trees (37%) within 3 km, trees (32%), grassland (23%) and water (21%) within 16 km, and trees (47%) and grassland (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
713 m
16 km
1,084 m
80 km
3,005 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: La Chaux-de-Fonds 14 km · Fribourg 27 km · Biel/Bienne 29 km · Yverdon-les-Bains 32 km · Köniz 37 km · Bern 39 km · Grenchen 42 km · Bulle 43 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 Neuchâtel (46.9918°, 6.931°, elevation 441 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).