Hamburg weather in December
December in Hamburg: cold, a little rain, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#11 of 12 months in Hamburg · #1231 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 47/100 (tier F)
- Days
- 7°C
- Nights
- 2°C
- Wet days
- 13
- Sun
- 1.9 h
- Humidity
- 90%
- Daylight
- 8 h

Traveller notes on Hamburg in December
Hamburg forum regulars are consistent that December is wind and rain rather than snow: “temperatures are likely to be between 0 and 10°C,” with icy rain and sleet happening “quite frequently throughout December in Northern Germany...more common than snow” — snow itself is called “very unlikely,” though an occasional shower does happen. Standard advice is layering under a genuinely wind- and waterproof jacket rather than counting on a snowy postcard scene. The city leans hard on indoor options for the weather: the Kunsthalle, the Hamburg Museum, the technical museum and Miniaturwunderland all get named as reliable fallbacks, alongside Christmas markets at Rathausmarkt, Jungfernstieg and Altona. Our record: 5.3°C days, 1.6°C nights, 15.6 rain days and 5.3cm of snow — cool, wet and windy, matching the “rain and sleet over snow” read.
Other months in Hamburg
Regulars are direct that this can be a genuinely sunny month here, pushing back on the city's general reputation for rain, while also noting Hamburg's northern, coastal position tends to make it cooler than many other parts of Germany at the same time of year. Our row backs the mild, still-real-rain read, 20C over 10.4C nights, with 60.3mm of rain across 9.6 days. Regulars call this a genuinely good time to visit overall, with rooms easier to find once school and work schedules pull the summer crowds away. The record: humidity 76 percent, 8.4 hours of sun, a 17 kph wind and AQI 46.
May can already be warm here, regulars say, and then add the northern German caveat in the same breath: take a jacket, because you never know. Our row gives 18.7C reading as 17C in an 18 kph wind, over nights that still fall to 7.6C. The city's reputation for bad weather overstates this month - 52.5mm across 8.8 days with 11.2 hours of sun inside 15.9 of daylight is a good spring by any measure - but the showers are frequent enough that a light waterproof earns its place. Early May brings the harbour's birthday festival, when the Elbe fills with tall ships and the parks are in blossom. The record: humidity 70 percent, a dew point of 7.5C and AQI 46.
Regulars own the city's reputation rather than arguing with it - Hamburg is famous for bad weather - and then qualify it usefully: July normally runs 20 to 30C with an average high near 22C, warm and sunny is the expectation, and what breaks it is extended changeable spells with rain and afternoon or evening thunderstorms. Our row gives 23.1C over 13.1C with 87.3mm across 12.2 days, so rain falls on about two days in five. The compensation is light: 11.3 hours of sun inside 16.4 of daylight. The record: humidity 73 percent, a 17.4 kph wind and AQI 46.
Hamburg-forum threads on August describe pleasant, unremarkable weather: mild days, cool evenings, a light breeze off the Elbe that feels warm rather than blustery, and no strong winds to plan around. Rain is called a chance of a light shower or two rather than a defining feature of the month, good news for the riverside walks and park time regulars recommend. The record runs a touch wetter than the forum chat suggests, though still comfortably in the pleasant range: 23.6C days feeling like 24C, 13C nights, 60mm of rain across nearly twelve days, 10.6 hours of sun and an AQI of 46 - more days with at least some rain than the casual read implies, just rarely enough to spoil a plan.
Add your own note from Hamburg's card on the map.
Hamburg climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Hamburg 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 crowdsWinterdom, Christmas markets, Christmas holidays in Germany(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Hamburg'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 weatherHamburg's weather peaks June–August.
December coincides with Storm surge season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Hamburg in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Hazard
Storm surge season
15 Sep – 31 MarFlood seasonThe city counts its storm tide season from mid-September to the end of March. A few times a winter the Elbe comes over the Fischmarkt, which the city treats as routine rather than news. Source ↗
- Festival
Winterdom
6 Nov – 6 DecMajor festivalCrowdedThe winter run of the funfair fills the Heiligengeistfeld for a month from early November, which is the warmest thing to do outdoors here before the Christmas markets open. Source ↗
- Festival
Christmas markets
18 Nov – 23 Dec · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowdedThe historic market in front of the town hall is the postcard one; the maritime markets on the Fleetinsel and in HafenCity are better, and the St Pauli one is not for everyone. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Hamburg — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Hamburg?
Hamburg in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Hamburg?
- December in Hamburg: cold, a little rain, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Hamburg on SeasonMap's comfort score (47/100).
- What is the weather like in Hamburg in December?
- In December, Hamburg averages a daily high of 6.6°C and a low of 2.2°C, with about 69 mm of rain over roughly 12.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Hamburg in December?
- Hamburg has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 38 in December.
- Does it snow in Hamburg in December?
- Hamburg sees roughly 4.2 cm of snowfall in December.
Within 300 km: Berlin's Christmas markets and Silvester on 23 Nov – 1 Jan, and Copenhagen's Christmas in Tivoli, julefrokost around 14 Nov – 3 Jan.