Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten weather in December

In December, Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten sees average daytime highs of 5°C and overnight lows near -0°C, with 92 mm of precipitation across 13.7 wet days and about 8.3 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 5°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 30 min at the start of December to 8 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten's 11th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-0°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
92 mm
13.7 wet days
Daylight
8 h 18 min
8:14 AM – 4:30 PM
Cloud cover
69%
11th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
1.01 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 5°C through the month.

A typical December day in Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten reaches about 5°C in the afternoon and slips back to -0°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -0°C and 10°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-10°-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
151
251
351
451
550
650
750
850
950
1050
1150
1250
1350
1450
1550
1640
1740
1840
1940
2040
2140
2240
2340
244-1
254-1
264-1
274-1
284-1
294-1
304-1
314-1

How December really feels in Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten

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.

Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten 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 / -1°7812.55.98.70.0
Feb / -1°6610.75.59.90.3
Mar10° / 8013.13.911.62.3
Apr14° / 8312.61.613.33.9
May19° / 11615.20.214.95.2
Jun22° / 13°11315.5015.75.8
Jul24° / 15°11414.7015.36.3
Aug24° / 14°11114014.16.4
Sep19° / 11°8911.5012.45.8
Oct14° / 8412.10.310.63.8
Nov / 8512.22.99.11.2
Dec / -0°9213.75.88.30.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23169
33268
43268
53268
63367
73466
83466
93565
103565
113664
123565
133565
143565
153565
163565
173565
183664
193466
203466
213466
223466
233466
243367
253466
263466
273565
283565
293565
303565
313565

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten gets around 92 mm of rain and snow over 13.7 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 44% and peaks near 45% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14215
24215
34316
44316
54316
64417
74417
84417
94418
104418
114418
124419
134519
144519
154519
164519
174519
184519
194520
204520
214520
224520
234520
244520
254520
264520
274519
284519
294518
304418
314418

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 7 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 30 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 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:00 AM to 8:20 AM, and sunset from 4:32 PM to 4:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.58:004:32
28.58:014:32
38.58:024:31
48.58:034:31
58.48:044:31
68.48:054:30
78.48:064:30
88.48:074:30
98.48:084:30
108.38:094:30
118.38:104:30
128.38:114:30
138.38:124:30
148.38:124:30
158.38:134:30
168.38:144:30
178.38:154:31
188.38:154:31
198.38:164:31
208.38:164:32
218.38:174:32
228.38:184:33
238.38:184:33
248.38:184:34
258.38:194:34
268.38:194:35
278.38:194:35
288.38:204:36
298.38:204:37
308.38:204:38
318.38:204:38

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.01 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.01 kWh/m² to a high of 5.68 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.01 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.1Dim
21.1Dim
31.1Dim
41.1Dim
51.1Dim
61.1Dim
71.1Dim
81.1Dim
91.0Dim
101.0Dim
111.0Dim
121.0Dim
131.0Dim
141.0Dim
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
281.0Dim
291.0Dim
301.0Dim
311.0Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten?

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 Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten.

What to pack for Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten in December

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

In December, Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten sees daytime highs around 5°C and nights near -0°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten 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 Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten 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 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 15UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten?

Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten sits at 47.4°N, 8.5°E, 403 m above sea level, in Switzerland. The nearest listed city is Zürich (Kreis 9), 1.0 km away.

Topography around Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 329 m around an average of 471 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 574 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,351 m.

The land around Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten is covered by trees (51%) and artificial surfaces (39%) within 3 km, trees (43%) within 16 km, and trees (45%) and grassland (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
329 m
16 km
574 m
80 km
3,351 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
December weather nearby: Zürich (Kreis 9) 1.0 km · Zürich (Kreis 10) / Höngg 2.0 km · Zürich (Kreis 9) / Albisrieden 2.0 km · Zürich (Kreis 10) 2.0 km · Zürich (Kreis 3) / Sihlfeld 3.0 km · Zürich (Kreis 4) / Aussersihl 3.0 km · Zürich (Kreis 10) / Wipkingen 3.0 km · Zürich (Kreis 3) 4.0 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 Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten (47.3895°, 8.4853°, elevation 403 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).