Weather in France in December

December in France is a coat month. Treat it as cities, food and short walks, not as a terrace holiday.

A country pin in December is a warning: one region of France will not match another. Use a city page if you already know where you are going. Compared with July and January, December sits in the middle of France's year.

France
Average temp
6°C

4–8°C

Rainfall
62 mm

Showers likely

Sunshine

What to expect

Daytime

You want a proper coat in France in December, not a festival jacket. Wind makes the same afternoon feel sharper than the map suggests.

Outdoor time is the middle of the day. Finish plans before the light goes. Evenings are for indoors.

Rain

December is the wet side of the year in France, the wettest stretch on these averages. Days can be heavy. Plans that cannot survive rain are the wrong plans.

This is not a reason to skip France if you like the place. It is a reason to pack for weather and to stop treating every grey hour as a failed holiday.

Evening

Evenings are cooler. A layer helps after sunset.

What to pack

  • Rain jacket

  • A layer for cooler evenings

Average weather in France

TemperatureRainfall

Source: MeteostatPeriod: 1991-2020Checked: 28 Aug 2026265 places covered

Similar weather in December

Other destinations whose December averages sit close to this one.

Check another month

This is the month you are reading. Change either side to look at another.

FAQs about France

Climate averages for France, 1991–2020.

The best time to visit France is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

August is the hottest month, with an average around 21°C.

May is the wettest month, with about 75 mm of rain.

No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.