Plovdiv weather in December

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

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Plovdiv🇧🇬 Bulgaria · Balkans · City61
  1. 58Jan
  2. 68Feb
  3. 75Mar
  4. 87Apr
  5. 93May
  6. 85Jun
  7. 80Jul
  8. 82Aug
  9. 94Sep
  10. 85Oct
  11. 70Nov
  12. 61Dec

#11 of 12 months in Plovdiv · #968 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 61/100 (tier C)

Days
9°C
Nights
1°C
Wet days
8
Sun
5.7 h
Humidity
79%
Daylight
9 h
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Photo: Eftim Futekov · Pexels

Traveller notes on Plovdiv in December

Notes from nearby Borovets (96 km away)

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

Mid-December at Borovets is a gamble on the forum's own reckoning - usually too early, with the lifts often opening around the 19th and only a handful of runs going that soon. The resort needs about 50cm to operate, the cannons help but work only in certain temperatures, and the reliable window regulars give is mid-January to the first week of March, with Bulgaria's heaviest falls often coming late, in March and April. Christmas itself varies: one recent year had the most snow of the season around it. If you want certainty, they say January. The record: 3.9C days that feel like 1C, -3.1C nights, 31.8cm of snow, 10.2 precipitation days and 5.9 hours of sun.
FiftyCentimetresToOperate · December · 1 month ago · about Borovets · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Plovdiv

Forum posters describe March in Bulgaria as genuinely unpredictable, capable of a bright sunny day and a snowstorm within the same short stretch, with coastal areas typically in the teens Celsius, not especially windy, and often surprisingly sunny and warm-feeling despite it still being early spring. Posters generally recommend preparing for temperatures around freezing and wet, muddy ground with suitable footwear regardless of the specific forecast. Posters describe mountain areas as still fully wintry this time of year, with lakes completely frozen and covered in roughly a meter of snow, and temperatures there swinging as widely as +10C to -20C. Posters generally describe Plovdiv itself as a substantial, historic city rather than a small town, worth a proper visit regardless of March's variable weather.
Tripadvisor community · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters call September a genuinely good time to visit Bulgaria - cooling gradually from summer, with harvest season bringing the country's food to its best, though the weather itself stays a mixed bag: plenty of great sunny stretches alongside a real chance of rain and thunderstorms. Bulgarian summer is described as running unusually long, from late April sometimes through the first weeks of October, so September can still deliver warm days up to 35C on occasion even as the season turns. For Plovdiv itself, posters consistently recommend budgeting a couple of days for the historic architecture, Roman ruins and the city's strong restaurant and hotel scene.
Tripadvisor community · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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

Plovdiv climate normals — December

Daytime high9°C / 48°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low1°C / 33°F
Feels like (high)7°C / 45°F
Rainfall55 mm / 2.1 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days8 days
Humidity79%💦 very humid
Dew point1°C / 33°F
Sunshine5.7 h/day
Daylight9.2 h
Wind11 km/h / 7 mph
Snowfall4.4 cm / 1.7 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 Plovdiv 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 7 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Plovdiv'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 weatherPlovdiv's best weather comes in April, May and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.

December coincides with Winter smog.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Plovdiv in December

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

  • Hazard

    Winter smog

    1 Nov – 10 Mar · usually

    Wood and coal stoves in the surrounding villages, plus an inversion that traps everything over the Thracian plain, give Plovdiv some of the worst winter particulate readings in the EU. It comes in still, windless spells. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Plovdiv?

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Plovdiv in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Plovdiv?
December in Plovdiv: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Plovdiv on SeasonMap's comfort score (61/100).
What is the weather like in Plovdiv in December?
In December, Plovdiv averages a daily high of 9.1°C and a low of 0.5°C, with about 54.5 mm of rain over roughly 7.8 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Plovdiv in December?
Plovdiv has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 34 in December.
Does it snow in Plovdiv in December?
Plovdiv sees roughly 4.4 cm of snowfall in December.

Within 300 km: Halkidiki's Olive harvest around 15 Oct – 31 Dec, and Bucharest's Christmas market around 27 Nov – 27 Dec.