Butha-Buthe weather in December

December in Butha-Buthe: warm, rainy, with clean air — not the time — 20 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Butha-Buthe🇱🇸 Lesotho · Eastern South Africa & Mozambique · Ski14
  1. 15Jan
  2. 15Feb
  3. 15Mar
  4. 14Apr
  5. 18May
  6. 27Jun
  7. 27Jul
  8. 18Aug
  9. 16Sep
  10. 15Oct
  11. 14Nov
  12. 14Dec

#12 of 12 months in Butha-Buthe · #1410 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 14/100 (tier F)

Days
24°C
Nights
12°C
Wet days
20
Sun
11.6 h
Humidity
66%
Daylight
14 h
Butha-Buthe, Lesotho
Photo: VirtualSteve · CC BY-SA 3.0

Traveller notes on Butha-Buthe in December

Other months in Butha-Buthe

Butha-Buthe-forum threads on a May visit describe Afriski as genuinely still closed for the season, posters naming only the beginner slope as having any snow this early even into late May. Regulars call the standard ski season genuinely running June through August, several posters naming May as too early to expect lifts or full terrain running. Posters call the wider Lesotho highlands still genuinely worth a May visit regardless of skiing, several regulars naming scenery and cooler air as reasons to come before the season starts. Regulars call road conditions into the highlands a real factor to check in May, several threads warning mountain passes can be affected by early cold snaps even before real snow arrives. Posters recommend confirming resort status directly before planning a May trip around it, several regulars calling this standard advice given how early the season still is. The record: 17C days, 2.8C nights, 22.9mm across over 4 days and 63 percent humidity.
ButhaButheMayRegular · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Butha-Buthe-forum threads describe October as genuinely well outside the real Afriski window, posters naming June-August the standard season and confirming the resort sits closed by this point in spring. Regulars call one full winter here notably disrupted, several posters recalling a year the slopes stayed shut entirely, the first time since 2009 with no real season. Posters call the wider Lesotho highlands still worth a spring visit regardless of skiing, several regulars naming real scenery and cooler air as reasons to come even with lifts idle. Regulars call road conditions into the highlands a genuine factor to check before an October trip, several threads warning mountain passes can still be affected by weather off-season. Posters recommend confirming resort status before planning around it, several regulars calling this standard advice given how much a season can vary. The record: 22.9C days, 8.2C nights, an extraordinarily high 70.4mm across over 8 days and 52 percent humidity.
ButhaButheOctoberRegular · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Butha-Buthe-forum reviews on an August visit describe this as genuinely the tail end of the real season here, posters naming June through early August as the core natural-cover window before things wind down. Regulars call artificial snow a real extension tool, several posters describing the resort keeping slopes running on machine-made cover well beyond the natural winter. Posters call mid-to-late July through early August the real sweet spot, one regular specifically recommending this window over late May or early June when only the beginner section had real cover. Regulars call the resort genuinely quiet outside peak dates, several threads describing an August visit as considerably less crowded than packed midwinter weekends. Posters recommend checking current conditions before a specific date, several regulars calling this standard advice given how season length here shifts year to year. The record: 17.3C days, 1.4C nights, 17.3mm across nearly 3 days and 47 percent humidity.
ButhaButheAugustRegular · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Butha-Buthe-forum reviews on a June visit describe Afriski as genuinely a bucket-list item, posters calling real accumulation here a novelty worth the trip because it happens in Africa. Regulars call June through August the resort's real operating season, several posters naming a June fifteenth through nineteenth stay with a group as a standard length trip in one of the mountain chalets. Posters call late May through late June and again August the genuine best windows for real cover, several regulars warning conditions between those stretches can be considerably less reliable. Regulars call the resort genuinely packed during peak season, several threads recommending booking well ahead given demand. Posters recommend real cold-weather layers regardless of the African setting, several regulars calling June nights here capable of dropping well below what visitors expect this far north. The record: 14.1C days, -0.5C nights, 12.5mm across nearly 2 days and 58 percent humidity.
ButhaButheJuneRegular · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Butha-Buthe climate normals — December

Daytime high24°C / 75°F🌤 warm
Nighttime low12°C / 54°F
Feels like (high)24°C / 75°F
Rainfall146 mm / 5.7 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days20 days
Humidity66%💧 humid
Dew point11°C / 51°F
Sunshine11.6 h/day
Daylight13.9 h
Wind15 km/h / 9 mph
Air quality (US AQI)43🍃 good

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

Crowds in Butha-Buthe 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.

Quietschool holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Butha-Buthe'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 weatherButha-Buthe's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.

JFMAMJJASOND

What's on in Butha-Buthe in December

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

  • Opening

    Afriski's summer season

    1 Oct – 30 AprTrail season

    October to April the resort switches to mountain biking, trail running and fly fishing on the high streams. Far quieter than the snow months, and afternoon thunderstorms over the pass are the thing to plan around. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Butha-Buthe?

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Butha-Buthe in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Butha-Buthe?
December in Butha-Buthe: warm, rainy, with clean air — not the time — 20 rainy days. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Butha-Buthe on SeasonMap's comfort score (14/100).
What is the weather like in Butha-Buthe in December?
In December, Butha-Buthe averages a daily high of 24°C and a low of 12.4°C, with about 146 mm of rain over roughly 19.8 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Butha-Buthe in December?
Butha-Buthe has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 43 in December.

Within 300 km: Durban's Swimmable sea all year on 1 Jan – 31 Dec, and Drakensberg's December school holidays around 10 Dec – 10 Jan.