Amsterdam weather in December
December in Amsterdam: cold, rainy, with clean air — a fair time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#11 of 12 months in Amsterdam · #1139 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 51/100 (tier D)
- Days
- 8°C
- Nights
- 3°C
- Wet days
- 15
- Sun
- 2.7 h
- Humidity
- 88%
- Daylight
- 8 h

What December is like in Amsterdam
Light installations along the canals through the long dark, a raw wind off the water, and short days best handled from inside.
festivallow season
confidence: medium
Traveller notes on Amsterdam in December
Other months in Amsterdam
Regulars name real year-to-year extremes rather than a settled pattern: one recent May brought snow and storms, another ran hot and summery, with most years landing somewhere between - shorts weather one afternoon, fleece-and-rain-jacket weather the next. Our row backs the mild average sitting between those extremes, 18.6C over 8.8C nights feeling 7C, with 62.8mm of rain across 8.7 days. Regulars consistently recommend checking the forecast just a couple of days out rather than trusting any seasonal generalization, and packing a genuine waterproof layer alongside lighter clothes regardless. The record: humidity 76 percent, 11.5 hours of sun, a 19.6 kph wind and AQI 49.
Regulars are consistent on one point: there's no defined wet season here, so June's weather is decent on average but genuinely unpredictable day to day, with a real chance of rain on any given afternoon regardless of the season. Our row backs the mild, changeable read, 21.9C over 12.6C nights, with 82mm of rain across 8.6 days and a real 19.2 kph wind. The standard packing advice reflects the variability directly - bring both a jacket for a cool or wet stretch and t-shirts for a sunny one, since a single week can swing between both. Regulars are quick to add that a lousy multi-day stretch is rare, and the city's museums are the fallback for whichever afternoon does turn wet. The record: humidity 76 percent, 11.7 hours of sun and AQI 49.
August is the busiest month here and regulars give the pattern rather than the warning: Monday to Wednesday is quiet, Thursday picks up, and the weekend is full - and late August weekdays are quieter still, because the Netherlands has gone back to work. On weather they describe showers off the North Sea as frequent and unpredictable but rarely heavy: it rains part of the day and then clears, and it is not a reason to change plans. Our 76.9mm across 9.3 days agrees. Days average 23.1C reading as 22C in an 18.8 kph wind, with 13.9C nights. The record: humidity 77 percent, 11 hours of sun inside 14.6 of daylight, and AQI 47.
Amsterdam forum regulars keep January's range wide: “anywhere between -15 and 15 degrees Celsius, with various degrees of rain, snow or clear skies,” a bit bleak and rainy/windy more often than not, though occasionally clear enough for skatable ice on the canals. Cold that feels worse than the number suggests is a recurring warning — dress for wind as much as temperature. Forecasts genuinely can't be trusted more than a week out, so the standard advice is to check again a few days before travel rather than plan around a long-range guess. The upside regulars keep repeating: January and February draw real fans specifically because visits run cheaper with far fewer people. Our record: 6.8°C days, 3.3°C nights, 12 rain days and 1.7cm of snow — cold, wet and windy, sitting toward the milder end of the wide range forums describe.
Year-round notes are on Amsterdam's overview. Add your own note from Amsterdam's card on the map.
Amsterdam climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Amsterdam in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Quietthe editor's quiet month, New Year's Eve, Christmas holidays in Netherlands
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Amsterdam's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherAmsterdam's weather peaks June–August, best around July.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Amsterdam in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Rule
Timed tickets at the big museums
1 Jan – 31 DecBook earlyThe Anne Frank House sells online only, in time slots released roughly six weeks ahead, and the Van Gogh Museum works the same way. Turning up on the day is not a plan between March and October. Source ↗
- Festival
Sinterklaas
14 Nov – 5 DecMajor festivalSinterklaas arrives by boat in mid-November and the country spends three weeks on the run-up to the evening of 5 December, which is the real Dutch gift night. Children's event, but the whole city plays along. Source ↗
- Festival
Amsterdam Light Festival
26 Nov – 17 JanLights & fireLight installations along the canals through the darkest eight weeks of the year, free to walk and ticketed by boat. It is the one thing that gives the December and January evenings a reason to be outdoors. Source ↗
- Holiday
New Year's Eve
28 Dec – 2 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedClosuresThe national ban on consumer fireworks took effect in August 2026, so the loudest night of the Dutch year is now sparklers and licensed displays rather than the old free-for-all. Rooms are at their December peak and the 1st is a shutdown. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Amsterdam — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Amsterdam?
Amsterdam in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Amsterdam?
- December in Amsterdam: cold, rainy, with clean air — a fair time to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Amsterdam on SeasonMap's comfort score (51/100).
- What is the weather like in Amsterdam in December?
- In December, Amsterdam averages a daily high of 8°C and a low of 2.8°C, with about 87.3 mm of rain over roughly 15.3 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Amsterdam in December?
- Amsterdam has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 37 in December.
- Does it snow in Amsterdam in December?
- Amsterdam sees roughly 3.2 cm of snowfall in December.
Within 300 km: Utrecht's Christmas on the canals around 28 Nov – 31 Dec, and The Hague's Royal Christmas Fair around 3–23 Dec.