Brussels (Bruxelles) weather in December

December in Brussels: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a fair time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Brussels🇧🇪 Belgium · Western Europe · City53
  1. 49Jan
  2. 59Feb
  3. 68Mar
  4. 79Apr
  5. 84May
  6. 90Jun
  7. 94Jul
  8. 92Aug
  9. 86Sep
  10. 72Oct
  11. 61Nov
  12. 53Dec

#11 of 12 months in Brussels · #1097 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 53/100 (tier D)

Days
8°C
Nights
4°C
Wet days
13
Sun
3 h
Humidity
88%
Daylight
8 h
Brussels, Belgium
Photo: Diego F. Parra · Pexels

Traveller notes on Brussels in December

Notes from nearby Antwerp (41 km away)

Brussels doesn't have its own notes for December yet — these are about Antwerp, close enough to share the season.

Belgian forum threads covering the Christmas market season are consistent that December here runs miserable more than genuinely cold - gray, short, windy and rainy days are the norm, with real snow more the exception than the rule most years. Historical odds cited put rain at roughly three days in five. The standard advice repeated across threads: come with layers and something properly waterproof rather than expecting a snowy postcard scene, and the market stalls, food and mulled wine make up for the grey skies once you're dressed for it.
FlandersWinterRegular · December · 1 month ago · about Antwerp · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Brussels

Regulars are direct this month could genuinely land cold, warm or even hot, equally likely to turn wet, damp or dry, with no reliable way to know in advance which combination a trip will get. Our row backs that mild, genuinely wet read, 19.4C over 9.9C nights feeling 7C, with 61.6mm of rain across 11.2 days and humidity at 71 percent. Regulars are consistent checking the forecast close to departure beats trusting any seasonal average, with layers covering most of the realistic range the standard advice regardless. This remains a genuinely comfortable month for wandering the Grand Place and parks whenever a dry, sunny stretch does line up. The record: 10.9 hours of sun, an 18.1 kph wind and AQI 50.
CouldBeColdOrHotWetOrDryPackLayers · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
September is one of the three months regulars name for this country, alongside May and June: longer days than October, warmer than March, and usually less rain than either - though they will not promise it. Their packing rule is blunt and seasonal: from September onwards take long trousers and closed shoes and leave the sleeveless things at home, because you are likelier to be cold than hot. Our row gives 21.2C reading as 20C over 12.4C nights, with 63.3mm of rain across 10.8 days and only 8.7 hours of sun inside 12.6 of daylight. The city's business calendar restarts this month too, which tightens the hotels. The record: humidity 76 percent, a 17.9 kph wind and AQI 45.
LongTrousersFromNowOn · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars put late June here between 20 and 25C by day with cooler evenings, and our 23.2C over 13.7C sits inside that. Their description of the rain is the useful part - light and miserable rather than heavy, the sort you carry an umbrella through and keep going - and the numbers say the same thing: 73.6mm across 10.9 days is under seven millimetres a day, so rain interrupts about one day in three without ever really stopping anything. The packing list is light layers, something waterproof, and shoes that can take cobbles all day. Daylight runs to 16.4 hours. The record: humidity 71 percent, 11.1 hours of sun, a 17.6 kph wind and AQI 53.
LightAndMiserableCarryOn · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
July in Brussels averages about 25C by day and 15C at night, which our row puts at 23.9C and 14.8C, and the forum's point is how little that average tells you. The month can reach 30C or more; it can also sit at 10C and wet, and regulars say the weather here is unstable enough to change within minutes, with forecasts worth trusting about five days out. Belgium has no rainy season - it can rain at any point in the year - and July happens to be one of the wetter months, our row giving it 10.7 precipitation days. Hence the standing rule: light clothes, a pullover or light jacket, and a raincoat with you unless a heatwave is already forecast. The record: 62.8mm of rain, 11.4 hours of sun and a 16-hour day.
AlwaysCarryTheRaincoat · July · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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

Brussels climate normals — December

Daytime high8°C / 47°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low4°C / 39°F
Feels like (high)5°C / 41°F
Rainfall72 mm / 2.8 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days13 days
Humidity88%💦 very humid
Dew point4°C / 40°F
Sunshine3 h/day
Daylight8 h
Wind22 km/h / 14 mph
Snowfall2.2 cm / 0.9 in
Air quality (US AQI)38🍃 good

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

Crowds in Brussels 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.

Peak crowdsWinter Wonders, Winter (Christmas) holidays in Belgium, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Brussels'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 weatherBrussels's weather peaks June–August, best around July.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Brussels in December

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

  • Festival

    Winter Wonders

    27 Nov – 3 Jan · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowded

    The market runs from the Bourse down to Sainte-Catherine with a rink and a big wheel, from the end of November to the first days of January. The sound-and-light show on the Grand-Place is on the hour. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Brussels?

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Brussels in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Brussels?
December in Brussels: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a fair time to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Brussels on SeasonMap's comfort score (53/100).
What is the weather like in Brussels in December?
In December, Brussels averages a daily high of 8.4°C and a low of 4.1°C, with about 71.5 mm of rain over roughly 13.4 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Brussels in December?
Brussels has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 38 in December.
Does it snow in Brussels in December?
Brussels sees roughly 2.2 cm of snowfall in December.

Within 300 km: Bruges' Winter Glow and the markets around 20 Nov – 3 Jan, and The Hague's Royal Christmas Fair around 3–23 Dec.