Galway weather in December

December in Galway: cold, rainy, with clean air — a fair time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Galway🇮🇪 Ireland · British Isles · City52
  1. 55Jan
  2. 58Feb
  3. 64Mar
  4. 74Apr
  5. 83May
  6. 85Jun
  7. 86Jul
  8. 81Aug
  9. 76Sep
  10. 67Oct
  11. 59Nov
  12. 52Dec

#12 of 12 months in Galway · #1125 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 52/100 (tier D)

Days
9°C
Nights
5°C
Wet days
16
Sun
2.8 h
Humidity
87%
Daylight
8 h
Galway, Ireland
Photo: Jonathan Borba · Pexels

Traveller notes on Galway in December

Other months in Galway

Forum posters describe January in Galway as very cold, windy, and prone to rain slanting in off the Atlantic, with real potential for snow, ice, and gale-force winds on a given day. Posters are consistent, though, that a good sunny day around 10C isn't dramatically colder than an average summer day here - the range between a bad and good January day is genuinely wide. Posters flag that some attractions and B&Bs close for the month, though the surrounding countryside stays accessible, if often wet and muddy underfoot. Posters consistently recommend proper waterproofs and layers as the essential preparation, describing Irish weather as changeable enough within a single day that flexible clothing matters more than any single forecast. Posters generally rate January as workable with the right gear, but genuinely one of Galway's harsher months.
Tripadvisor community · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
July in Galway runs to the high teens — around 18°C on average, occasionally into the mid-20s — and the forum's honesty is about rain rather than heat: July can be rainier than May while being warmer, and rain gear is the one thing every poster insists on whatever the month. The record puts it at about fourteen wet days. Their framing is the useful part, though: you will get beautiful days too, and the standing local line is that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. A light jacket and a sweater for the evenings.
Tripadvisor community · July · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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

Galway climate normals — December

Daytime high9°C / 48°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low5°C / 41°F
Feels like (high)6°C / 43°F
Sea temperature8°C / 47°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall105 mm / 4.1 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days16 days
Humidity87%💦 very humid
Dew point5°C / 41°F
Sunshine2.8 h/day
Daylight7.6 h
Wind24 km/h / 15 mph
Snowfall1.8 cm / 0.7 in
Air quality (US AQI)35🍃 good

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

Crowds in Galway 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 crowdsGalway Christmas Market, Christmas break in Ireland, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Galway'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 weatherGalway's weather peaks May–July.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Galway in December

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

  • Opening

    Galway Christmas Market

    14 Nov – 22 Dec · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowded

    Eyre Square is boarded over with chalets and a big wheel from mid-November until just before Christmas. It is the busiest the city gets outside July, and it is dark by half four. Source ↗

  • Hazard

    Atlantic winter storms

    1 Dec – 28 Feb · usuallyWinter storms & gales

    Most named storms reach Ireland in winter, and Galway takes them head on: gales close the Salthill promenade, cancel Aran Islands ferries and flights, and can push the sea into Spanish Arch and the Claddagh. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Galway?

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Galway in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Galway?
December in Galway: cold, rainy, with clean air — a fair time to visit. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Galway on SeasonMap's comfort score (52/100).
What is the weather like in Galway in December?
In December, Galway averages a daily high of 8.9°C and a low of 5.1°C, with about 104.9 mm of rain over roughly 15.8 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Galway in December?
Galway has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 35 in December.
Does it snow in Galway in December?
Galway sees roughly 1.8 cm of snowfall in December.

Within 300 km: Killarney's Christmas in Killarney around 20 Nov – 31 Dec, and Dingle's Other Voices around 28 Nov – 10 Dec.