Barcelona weather in December

December in Barcelona: cool, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Barcelona🇪🇸 Spain · Catalonia, Valencia & the Balearics · City80
  1. 79Jan
  2. 82Feb
  3. 84Mar
  4. 89Apr
  5. 93May
  6. 87Jun
  7. 80Jul
  8. 77Aug
  9. 84Sep
  10. 86Oct
  11. 83Nov
  12. 80Dec

#10 of 12 months in Barcelona · #444 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 80/100 (tier A)

Days
16°C
Nights
10°C
Wet days
4
Sun
7.2 h
Humidity
80%
Daylight
9 h
Barcelona, Spain
Photo: Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz · Pexels

What December is like in Barcelona

Mild days, the Santa Llucia crib market beside the cathedral, and long dark evenings that push everything indoors.

festivallow season

confidence: medium

Traveller notes on Barcelona in December

Barcelona forum regulars describe December as genuinely mixed rather than reliably one thing: “rain, overcast and sun...it's not rare to have all the same day,” with typical midday readings around 14-16°C but mornings cold enough that layers matter more than any single forecast. It doesn't rain constantly — sunny stretches are “quite normal” in winter here — but a wet, chilly spell shows up most years, and posters note it has even snowed on rare occasions. The advice that repeats: dress warmly, carry a small foldable umbrella, and expect to shed a layer if the sun comes out. Our record: 14.6°C days, 7.5°C nights, only 4.8 rain days across the month and a 15.2°C sea — mild and mostly dry more often than the forum's mixed framing suggests, but cool enough that the layering advice holds.
Tripadvisor community · December · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Barcelona

En abril, aguas mil is the local saying regulars quote - in April, a thousand waters - though they add that some years it barely rains at all. Our row lands lighter than the proverb, 66.2mm across just 5.2 days. Temperature is reliably pleasant at 19.1C over 12.8C. The beach question they answer flatly: the sand is busy on April weekends, the sea is about 15.7C, and for locals the season does not start until late May or June, so swimming is a matter of what you are used to. One fixed date worth knowing is the 23rd of April, when the main avenues fill with books and roses. Easter moves, so check it. The record: humidity 76 percent, 10.7 hours of sun and AQI 51.
EnAbrilAguasMil · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Barcelona-forum threads asking if mid-July is too hot to be fun land on a workable yes-with-caveats: temperatures regularly climb into the low 30s, and posters are consistent it's the humidity, not the raw number, that saps energy fastest. The standing local rhythm repeated across threads is mornings for sightseeing, an air-conditioned room or a beachfront bar through the worst afternoon hours, and evenings for the parts of the city that come alive after dark anyway. Regulars recommend booking accommodation with real air conditioning as close to non-negotiable this month, since a hot night without it ruins the next day fast. For anyone with flexible dates and a preference for lighter heat and thinner crowds, late September gets repeatedly named as the trade-off month. The record: 29.3C days feeling like a punishing 32C, 23.5C nights, 51 percent humidity relative to the muggy coastal norm, a 26C sea and 13.2 hours of sun.
BarcelonaJulyRegular · July · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Barcelona forum regulars are clear that March means city weather, not beach weather: daytime readings run “7 to 15°C,” “sunny, mild and very pleasant during the day, slightly cooler at night,” with some weeks reaching highs of 16-17°C and plenty of sun. The sea itself rules out swimming for anyone but the very determined — one poster recorded a surface reading of 13.6°C, calling it swimmable “for the VERY brave” only. Layering is the standard advice, since many shops and restaurants run warm indoors even on a cool day outside. The upside: sights aren't packed with tourists yet. Our record: 15.8°C days, 8.4°C nights, 7.2 rain days and a 14°C sea — mild and mostly dry, with a sea that backs the “brave swimmers only” framing.
Tripadvisor community · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Posters quote November averages of 65°F/54°F and about five days of rain, and the reaction from someone who'd been is that the numbers undersell it: "most of the time I was comfortable in a t-shirt. A light jacket was useful in the evening." The regulars' framing is that this isn't really cold-weather territory — "unless you're going somewhere high up, I seriously doubt that you'll need cold weather clothing," and "I don't think that is very cold for November compared to many places." The rain is the coin-flip: it is "usually very pleasant in Spain — you might have rain but equally it might be fine all week," and the standing advice is a lightweight breathable waterproof rather than anything heavier. One poster's rule: don't build a November trip around the weather forecast. Our record: 16.9°C days, 8.4 rain days, sea still 16°C.
Tripadvisor community · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Barcelona's card on the map.

Barcelona climate normals — December

Daytime high16°C / 61°F🙂 cool
Nighttime low10°C / 50°F
Feels like (high)14°C / 57°F
Sea temperature15°C / 59°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall37 mm / 1.5 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days4 days
Humidity80%💦 very humid
Dew point5°C / 41°F
Sunshine7.2 h/day
Daylight9.2 h
Wind15 km/h / 9 mph
Air quality (US AQI)46🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Barcelona 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, Fira de Santa Llúcia, Christmas holidays in Spain

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Barcelona'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).

Fair weatherBarcelona's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.

JFMAMJJASOND

What's on in Barcelona in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Festival

    Fira de Santa Llúcia

    26 Nov – 23 DecChristmas & New YearCrowded

    The oldest Christmas market in the city, set up beside the cathedral from the end of November: nativity figures, mistletoe, and the caganer stalls that visitors take a while to understand. Source ↗

  • Nature

    Calçot season

    1 Dec – 5 Apr · usuallyForaging season

    Grilled spring onions eaten with the fingers over romesco, at farm restaurants in the countryside inland. City places do a version, but the calçotada is a day out of Barcelona rather than a dinner in it.

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Barcelona — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Barcelona?

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Barcelona in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Barcelona?
December in Barcelona: cool, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Barcelona on SeasonMap's comfort score (80/100).
What is the weather like in Barcelona in December?
In December, Barcelona averages a daily high of 16.1°C and a low of 9.9°C, with about 37.2 mm of rain over roughly 3.7 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Barcelona in December?
Barcelona has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 46 in December.

Within 300 km: Palma's Festa de l'Estendard on 31 Dec, and Andorra la Vella's Ski season around 1 Dec – 15 Apr.