Bilbao weather in December
In December, Bilbao has daytime highs averaging 13 °C, nights around 7.8 °C, with 14 wet days, and a sea temperature of 14 °C. Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
- 12.6°C Average high
- 7.8°C Average low
- 14days Wet days
- 106mm Rainfall
- 14.1°C Sea temperature
- 9.0h Daylight
Daily temperatures through December
How December develops
Averages for the first, middle and last part of the month, from daily 1991–2020 normals. Chance of rain is the share of years in which that calendar day recorded more than 1 mm.
| Days | Avg high | Avg low | Chance of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 December | 13.0 °C | 8.4 °C | 54 % |
| 11–20 December | 12.5 °C | 7.8 °C | 43 % |
| 21–31 December | 12.5 °C | 7.4 °C | 42 % |
- Rain is most likely over days 1–10 of December (54 % of days) and least likely over days 21–31 (42 %).
What to expect
| Measure | Typical December | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Days above 25 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days above 30 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days below 0 °C | 0.1 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days with more than 1 mm rain | 14 of 31 | 46 % |
Conditions in December
| Measure | Average |
|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 10 °C |
| Record high (1991–2020) | 21 °C |
| Record low (1991–2020) | -1.2 °C |
| Relative humidity | 78 % |
| Wind speed | 19 km/h |
| Cloud cover | 69 % |
Where Bilbao ranks in December
| Ranking | Position | Value |
|---|---|---|
| The warmest places in Europe in December | 39th of 50 | 13 °C |
| Warmest sea temperatures in Europe in December | 42nd of 50 | 14 °C |
| Places with the best weather in Europe in December | 46th of 50 | 53/100 |
December compared with the months around it
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.9 °C | 112 mm | 69 % |
| February | 12.3 °C | 102 mm | 67 % |
| October | 19.3 °C | 98 mm | 62 % |
| November | 14.9 °C | 136 mm | 68 % |
| December | 12.6 °C | 106 mm | 69 % |
See all twelve months for Bilbao
- December is the 10th warmest month here.
- It is the 10th driest month of the year.
- It ranks 11th for least cloud cover.
- Days last about 9.0 hours from sunrise to sunset.
- It rains on 14 of 31 days — 46 % of the month.
- Nights are about 4.8 °C cooler than the middle of the day.
- The hottest December day on record since 1991 reached 21 °C, 8.4 °C above the usual daytime high.
- Beach score: 2 / 100 — see how this is calculated.
QuestionsDecember in Bilbao, answered
How warm is Bilbao in December?
Daily highs average 13 °C and nights fall to about 7.8 °C, a spread of 4.8 °C between afternoon and dawn. That makes December the 10th warmest month of the year here.
Does it rain much in Bilbao in December?
December averages 106 mm of rain, spread over about 14 of the 31 days — 46 % of the month. Cloud cover averages 69 % of the sky.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in December?
The sea averages 14 °C off Bilbao in December. Most people find water below 20 °C bracing and above 25 °C comfortable for a long swim; this figure is a monthly surface average, so a sheltered bay on a still afternoon can be warmer.
How long are the days in December?
Bilbao averages 9.0 hours between sunrise and sunset in December. Day length is computed from latitude and date, so it is exact rather than modelled — but it says nothing about how much of that time is sunny.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: daylight hours, beach and comfort scores, monthly rankings, threshold day counts, chance of a wet day by date, ten-day averages within the month. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.