Sơn La weather in December

In December, Sơn La sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 23 mm of rain across 3.6 wet days and about 10.7 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% 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 Sơn La's 4th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sơn La's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
11th warmest
Overnight low
12°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
23 mm
3.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:39 AM – 5:22 PM
Cloud cover
55%
4th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
3.18 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.6
out of 10

Sơn La is the old provincial capital of Son La province, Vietnam.

Density
328/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

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical December day in Sơn La reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°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 26°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
32314
42214
52213
62213
72213
82213
92213
102213
112213
122213
132112
142112
152112
162112
172112
182112
192112
202112
212112
222112
232112
242111
252111
262111
272111
282111
292112
302112
312112

How December really feels in Sơn La

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.

Sơn La weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 12°24410.87.3
Feb23° / 13°193.611.37.9
Mar27° / 16°507.111.87.1
Apr29° / 19°7212.812.55.2
May30° / 22°14719.3133.7
Jun30° / 23°2092313.33.2
Jul29° / 23°28824.513.23.4
Aug29° / 22°28325.312.73.4
Sep29° / 21°15017.512.14.4
Oct27° / 19°498.311.56.6
Nov25° / 16°274.5117.8
Dec22° / 12°233.610.77.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% 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 49%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24753
34753
44654
54555
64555
74555
84555
94654
104654
114753
124852
134951
145050
155248
165248
175446
185545
195644
205644
215644
225644
235644
245644
255545
265545
275446
285347
295347
305248
315149

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Sơn La gets around 23 mm of rain over 3.6 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 12% and peaks near 15% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
115
215
315
415
515
614
714
814
913
1013
1112
1211
1311
1410
159
169
179
189
199
209
219
229
239
2410
2510
2611
2711
2811
2912
3012
3113

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 54% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13540214
23740203
33840193
43940183
54140173
64339163
74439142
84638132
94838122
104937112
115037112
125236102
135435101
14563491
15573391
16583291
17583291
18603181
19603181
20613081
21633070
22633070
23633070
24633070
25633070
26623170
27623170
28623170
29613270
30613270
31603280

Wind in December

Winds average 6 km/h in December.

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 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 6:30 AM to 6:46 AM, and sunset from 5:18 PM to 5:29 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.86:305:18
210.86:315:18
310.86:325:18
410.86:325:18
510.86:335:19
610.86:335:19
710.76:345:19
810.76:355:19
910.76:355:19
1010.76:365:20
1110.76:365:20
1210.76:375:20
1310.76:385:21
1410.76:385:21
1510.76:395:21
1610.76:395:22
1710.76:405:22
1810.76:405:23
1910.76:415:23
2010.76:415:23
2110.76:425:24
2210.76:425:24
2310.76:435:25
2410.76:435:25
2510.76:445:26
2610.76:445:26
2710.76:445:27
2810.76:455:27
2910.76:455:28
3010.76:465:28
3110.76:465:29

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.18 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 5.26 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 3.18 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.1Moderate
23.1Moderate
33.1Moderate
43.1Moderate
53.1Moderate
63.1Moderate
73.1Moderate
83.1Moderate
93.1Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.2Moderate
183.3Moderate
193.3Moderate
203.3Moderate
213.3Moderate
223.3Moderate
233.3Moderate
243.3Moderate
253.3Moderate
263.3Moderate
273.3Moderate
283.3Moderate
293.2Moderate
303.2Moderate
313.2Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Sơn La

In seasonPeak

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

Sơn La's monsoon runs May–September, 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 Sơn La?

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

7.6
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Sơn La for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Sơn La in December

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

In December, Sơn La sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 12°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 4 days see rain.

UV index in Sơn La 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 Sơn La peaks around June 20 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 20UV 13Dec 18UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb9Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr9Very high
May11Extreme
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Sơn La 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 Sơn La is worst in April — around 151 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 12.9× the cleanest month (August, 12 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyModerateGoodModerateApr 16140 µg/m³Aug 912 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan32Moderate
Feb38Poor
Mar67Unhealthy
Apr151Very unhealthy
May58Unhealthy
Jun14Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug12Good
Sep16Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov26Moderate
Dec31Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sơn La?

Sơn La sits at 21.3°N, 103.9°E, 608 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Ít Ong, 24 km away.

Dien Bien PhuXam NuaVieng XaiMường LayYên Bái

Topography around Sơn La

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sơn La has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 348 m around an average of 674 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,404 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,830 m.

The land around Sơn La is covered by trees (59%) within 3 km, trees (69%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (68%) and grassland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
348 m
16 km
1,404 m
80 km
2,830 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Ít Ong 24 km · Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 27 km · Nghĩa Lộ 69 km · Dien Bien Phu 93 km · Xam Nua 102 km · Vieng Xai 107 km · Mường Lay 111 km · Yên Bái 112 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 Sơn La (21.3256°, 103.9188°, elevation 608 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).