Halifax weather in December

December in Halifax: cold, rainy, with clean air — a hit-or-miss time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Halifax🇨🇦 Canada · Northeast & Atlantic Canada · City40
  1. 33Jan
  2. 37Feb
  3. 48Mar
  4. 62Apr
  5. 74May
  6. 81Jun
  7. 92Jul
  8. 89Aug
  9. 85Sep
  10. 69Oct
  11. 54Nov
  12. 40Dec

#10 of 12 months in Halifax · #1294 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 40/100 (tier F)

Days
4°C
Nights
-3°C
Wet days
12
Sun
4.5 h
Humidity
76%
Daylight
9 h
Halifax, Canada
Photo: Jeffrey Eisen · Pexels

Traveller notes on Halifax in December

Other months in Halifax

Regulars are specific that early May can bring wild swings, an odd day or night trending 10 degrees Celsius higher or lower than the norm, so layering is the standard advice rather than trusting one forecast. Our row backs that cool, changeable read, 14.8C over 5.4C nights feeling 2C, with 97.6mm of rain across 9.3 days and a trace of late snow, 0.6cm. Regulars are consistent this month runs noticeably colder than September, and specifically flag that provincial and national park visitor centres and facilities don't fully open until around mid-May, worth checking before planning a trip built around them. The sea stays cold at 6.4C, no swimming without a wetsuit. The record: humidity 79 percent, 9 hours of sun, a 19.1 kph wind and AQI 39.
LayerUpForWildTenDegreeSwings · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars are blunt about this month's reputation on the Atlantic-facing coast: it is the worst for fog, a southerly wind pulling it in over cool water to sit through the day even on an otherwise warm one, and September is repeatedly recommended over June for exactly that reason - the sea has warmed by then and the fog eases. Our row carries the dampness, 106.9mm of rain across 9.6 days at 82.9 percent humidity, alongside a mild 19.7C over 10.3C. The sea itself is genuinely cold at 10C, part of why the fog forms in the first place. Their packing answer covers both a warm afternoon and a foggy one: shorts, a wind and waterproof shell, and a sweater for evenings that turn cool fast. The record: 9.4 hours of sun, an 18.6 kph wind and AQI 38.
TheWorstMonthForFogOnThisCoast · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
September is the transition month here and regulars rate it: highs in the low twenties, nights near 10C, and usually the driest month of the year - our row gives 21.3C over 12.1C with 87mm across only 6.1 days. On hurricanes they are calm and specific. Warnings come most years between August and October, most systems have stopped being hurricanes by the time they reach Nova Scotia and arrive as storms with wind and rain, and one regular counts a single trip cut short across many years of visits. Autumn colour is the one thing September cannot promise - some reds in the green by the end of the month, the real display in early October. The record: humidity 80 percent, 8.2 hours of sun and a 17.4C sea.
MostArriveAsStorms · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
August is the month Nova Scotia regulars point to, and their reason is fog rather than temperature: the fog season is past by mid-August at the latest, after which foggy days are limited to the ones that were going to be wet anyway. Where it lingers is the Atlantic-facing coast; inland and the Bay of Fundy side see far less. Warm but not hot is the standing description, with a heat wave of about four days somewhere in the month, which our row's 24.2C reading as 26C supports. The other August fact is hurricanes: Nova Scotia gets warnings every year from August to October, most arrive downgraded, and the real consequence is high wind, heavy rain and widespread power cuts. The record: 15.3C nights, 7.3 precipitation days carrying 97.9mm and a 17.7C sea.
FogSeasonIsOverByMidMonth · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Halifax climate normals — December

Daytime high4°C / 40°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low-3°C / 26°F
Feels like (high)0°C / 32°F
Sea temperature6°C / 42°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall145 mm / 5.7 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days12 days
Humidity76%💦 very humid
Dew point-2°C / 28°F
Sunshine4.5 h/day
Daylight8.9 h
Wind24 km/h / 15 mph
Snowfall17.5 cm / 6.9 in
Air quality (US AQI)34🍃 good

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

Crowds in Halifax 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 crowdsChristmas Day closures, Winter / Christmas break in Canada, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Halifax'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 weatherHalifax's weather peaks July–September.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Halifax in December

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

  • Hazard

    Winter storm season

    1 Dec – 31 MarWinter storms & galesClosures

    Nor'easters come up the coast several times a winter with wind, wet snow and power cuts, and the airport is what fails first. Between them the harbour rarely freezes and the city keeps moving. Source ↗

  • Holiday

    Christmas Day closures

    24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosures

    Christmas Day is a statutory holiday nationwide: most shops, museums and many restaurants close and transit runs a holiday schedule. Boxing Day brings sales crowds to the malls where it is kept, and 1 January is another quiet, mostly closed day. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Where is Halifax?

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Halifax in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Halifax?
December in Halifax: cold, rainy, with clean air — a hit-or-miss time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Halifax on SeasonMap's comfort score (40/100).
What is the weather like in Halifax in December?
In December, Halifax averages a daily high of 4.2°C and a low of -3.2°C, with about 145.1 mm of rain over roughly 11.6 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Halifax in December?
Halifax has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 34 in December.
Does it snow in Halifax in December?
Halifax sees roughly 17.5 cm of snowfall in December.