Mường Lay weather in December

In December, Mường Lay sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 47 mm of rain across 6.2 wet days and about 10.7 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 48 min at the start of December to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Mường Lay's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mường Lay's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
11th warmest
Overnight low
13°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
47 mm
6.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:44 AM – 5:24 PM
Cloud cover
57%
5th clearest
Wind
3 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Mường Lay is old town of Dien Bien province, Vietnam.

Density
179/km²
people per km²
Founded
1971

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 21°C through the month.

A typical December day in Mường Lay reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and on par with January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12314
22314
32214
42214
52214
62214
72214
82213
92213
102213
112213
122113
132113
142113
152113
162112
172112
182112
192112
202112
212112
222112
232112
242112
252112
262112
272112
282112
292112
302112
312112

How December really feels in Mường Lay

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 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
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Mường Lay weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 12°59810.86.8
Feb23° / 12°548.311.27.1
Mar26° / 15°12313.111.86.3
Apr28° / 19°21919.512.54.7
May29° / 21°32825.2133.5
Jun29° / 23°45528.313.32.9
Jul29° / 23°45329.413.23.0
Aug29° / 23°36426.912.83.2
Sep29° / 22°18719.712.14.2
Oct27° / 20°8613.711.55.9
Nov24° / 16°55810.97.2
Dec21° / 13°476.210.77.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34654
44654
54456
64555
74456
84357
94357
104555
114555
124654
134654
144852
154951
165050
175248
185347
195347
205545
215545
225644
235644
245644
255644
265545
275545
285446
295446
305347
315248

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Mường Lay gets around 47 mm of rain over 6.2 wet days in December, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 20% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
125
225
325
424
524
624
723
823
922
1022
1121
1220
1319
1418
1518
1617
1717
1817
1916
2016
2116
2217
2317
2417
2517
2618
2718
2819
2920
3020
3121

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 41% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
12141326
22242315
32342305
42542285
52642275
62743264
72943254
83043234
93243223
103443213
113642202
123742192
133941182
144141172
154340161
164539151
174639141
184838131
194938121
205037121
215237110
225337100
235337100
24543790
25543880
26543880
27533980
28524080
29524170
30504280
31504280

Wind in December

Winds average 3 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 3 km/h on the calmest days to 3 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min at the start of December to 10 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:35 AM to 6:50 AM, and sunset from 5:20 PM to 5:31 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.86:355:20
210.76:355:20
310.76:365:20
410.76:375:20
510.76:375:20
610.76:385:21
710.76:385:21
810.76:395:21
910.76:405:21
1010.76:405:22
1110.76:415:22
1210.76:415:22
1310.76:425:22
1410.76:435:23
1510.76:435:23
1610.76:445:24
1710.76:445:24
1810.76:455:24
1910.76:455:25
2010.76:465:25
2110.76:465:26
2210.76:475:26
2310.76:475:27
2410.76:485:27
2510.76:485:28
2610.76:495:28
2710.76:495:29
2810.76:495:29
2910.76:505:30
3010.76:505:30
3110.76:505:31

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.09 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.09 kWh/m² to a high of 5.2 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 3.09 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.1Moderate
23.1Moderate
33.1Moderate
43.1Moderate
53.0Moderate
63.0Moderate
73.0Moderate
83.0Moderate
93.0Moderate
103.0Moderate
113.0Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.1Moderate
143.1Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.2Moderate
193.2Moderate
203.2Moderate
213.2Moderate
223.2Moderate
233.2Moderate
243.2Moderate
253.2Moderate
263.2Moderate
273.2Moderate
283.2Moderate
293.1Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Mường Lay

In seasonPeak

None of Mường Lay's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Mường Lay's monsoon runs April–August, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Mường Lay?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.6
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Mường Lay for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Mường Lay in December

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

In December, Mường Lay sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 13°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 6 days see rain.

UV index in Mường Lay in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mường Lay peaks around June 19 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 19UV 13Dec 19UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7High
Feb9Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr9Very high
May11Extreme
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Mường Lay in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Mường Lay is worst in April — around 99 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 8.1× the cleanest month (July, 12 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyModerateApr 1395 µg/m³Jul 2212 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan31Moderate
Feb41Poor
Mar73Unhealthy
Apr99Unhealthy
May32Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul12Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep17Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov26Moderate
Dec30Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Mường Lay?

Mường Lay sits at 22.0°N, 103.1°E, 496 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Lai Châu, 55 km away.

Lào CaiÍt OngSơn LaThị Trấn Phố Lu

Topography around Mường Lay

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mường Lay has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 987 m around an average of 501 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,867 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,950 m.

The land around Mường Lay is covered by trees (78%) within 3 km, trees (80%) within 16 km, and trees (80%) within 80 km.

3 km
987 m
16 km
1,867 m
80 km
2,950 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Lai Châu 55 km · Dien Bien Phu 69 km · Sapa 82 km · Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 85 km · Lào Cai 102 km · Ít Ong 107 km · Sơn La 111 km · Thị Trấn Phố Lu 114 km

Vietnam travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,066
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
59%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 500
Religion
none 86%Catholic 6%Buddhist 6%Protestant 1%

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 Mường Lay (22°, 103.1333°, elevation 496 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).